Dev Calls Baldur’s Gate 3 An Anomaly That Can Kill Other Studios

Head of Strange Scaffold Studios, Xalavier Nelson Jr., recently made a thread on why Baldur’s Gate 3 should not be considered the new baseline for RPGs. The game’s long dev cycle, inspiration and resources from previous iterations, and the 3-year-long early access period have given Larian Studios the necessary materials to build this game. If other studios were to create a similar scale without those resources, it could potentially kill them.

4) Over 400 developers in 7 different offices around the world [not including outsourcing partners]5) The license, brand, and world of one of the largest entertainment IPs in the world (D&D), at the apex of its popularity with the rise of the actual play movement, and a movie
4/

— Xalavier Nelson Jr. (@WritNelson) July 8, 2023

The experienced developer started by acknowledging Larian Studios’ work on Baldur’s Gate 3 and raised some important points to educate players on the resources it took to build a game of this scale. He hoped it would “push back against players taking that excitement and using it to apply criticism or a ‘raised standard’ to RPGs going forward.”

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been developing since 2017, with around 3 years of early access. The long dev cycle and early access period have given them enough time to fix many bugs and change some aspects to better appeal to the fanbase. This is easier said than done because such long periods would require a hefty amount of cash flow to keep the development going.

Larian Studios has over 400 employees in 7 different locations globally working on this one title, and that excludes the outsourcing partners. Employing such a massive team and having them constantly polish a game like this is not a cheap task. Nevertheless, the studio had previous iterations and their definitive editions to draw an outline for Baldur’s Gate 3.

It should still be noted that Larian Studios built this game’s foundation from scratch, culminating in the series as we know it. Even if we don’t consider the licensing of one of the biggest IPs, putting those kinds of resources is a hefty task, one that not many studios undertake. It is why Nelson called Baldur’s Gate 3 an anomaly, and his argument is reasonable.

Being the head of Strange Scaffold Studios and the writer for Stranger Things VR, the developer has plenty of experience in the matter. He knows the risks and rewards of this game for Larian Studios, which he described as.

If they go as big or bigger with their next title, Larian themselves could die! That’s the risk and reward of the megagame. We are an industry dangling elephants over cliffs, pointing at the ones that don’t collapse under their own weight as indictments to the ones that do,” says Xalavier Nelson Jr.

…but if you shout that "EVERY RPG SHOULD BE LIKE THIS GOING FORWARD, YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE–"

You've not just missed the point, you've created the expectations and conditions to ensure your favorite creators may never be able to give you the thing you love ever again.
10/10

— Xalavier Nelson Jr. (@WritNelson) July 8, 2023

Baldur’s Gate 3 is an RPG developed and published by Larian Studios. The game has been in early access on PC and macOS since October 6, 2020. The full version will be released on August 3, 2023, and the PlayStation 5 release will follow on September 6. As for the Xbox Series X|S release, it is confirmed to be still in development.