Baldur’s Gate 3 almost launched on Game Pass but devs would have lost millions

The Microsoft document leak has revealed that Baldur’s Gate 3 could have been launched on Game Pass from day one, but it could have cost Larian Studios greatly.

Microsoft has suffered from a significant leak stemming from unredacted documents being uploaded in the Microsoft vs FTC case. Alongside leaks of multiple upcoming games, an Xbox Series X Refresh, a new controller, and details on upcoming and previously abandoned deals. One such deal was between Microsoft and Larian, which would have seen the hit game Baldur’s Gate 3 hitting Xbox Game Pass from day one.

However, along with that deal came a rather underestimated financial deal that could have cost Larian greatly, especially considering Baldur’s Gate 3’s unbridled success.

Baldur’s Gate 3 could have launched on Game Pass

Revealed in the Microsoft document leak, it was found that Microsoft was originally going to give Larian Studios $5m to place Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass as soon as it came out of early access.

Naturally, that would have been thrilling for Xbox fans, but it could have been devastating for Larian, especially considering the game is estimated to have sold over 5.2 Million copies in total.

Ultimately, by not putting Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass, it’s likely Larian was able to make millions more in profit, without being tied to platform exclusivity, or giving it away to Game Pass subscribers.

However, that being said, there was no way for anyone either in Larian Studios, Microsoft, or elsewhere that could have predicted the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. In fact, the Director of Publishing in Larian Studios explained that “there just isn’t any existing data that could have told anyone how BG3 was going to perform” proving no one expected this game to go as well as it did.

It seems Larian Studios certainly fared well when this deal didn’t end up going through, although it’s clear the studio isn’t too happy with the recent leaks.