Baldur’s Gate 3: Is It Dying or Gaining New Players?

Even before its official release Baldur’s Gate 3 proved itself to be a highly promising and ambitious RPG game. Today the audience gets to enjoy one of the most immersive, compelling and well-thought-out titles out there. But how are things looking for Larian Studios three months after the release? Is the hype dead or are we witnessing the making of an evergreen?

The Hype is Over?

Baldur’s Gate 3's stunning graphics, gameplay, and storytelling quickly gained popularity and gathered a dedicated player base. As we can expect, the highest numbers were recorded in its release month, August, when approximately 5,632,025 gamers 'ventured forth'. As time progresses, the number of players declines, but this is understandable when it comes to story-based gameplay. In October, the game had an average of 4,985,187 monthly and 332,345 daily players . There was a significant 15% drop in the number of players, which wasn't as noticeable in September when the game actually gained users.

The hype over Baldur’s Gate 3 may be fading, but fortunately, the dedicated fan base is going strong. Currently, Baldur's Gate 3 retains more players than any other single-player game, surpassing Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077.

The Heartthrob Phenomenon

Larian Studios took the chance to create a game with one of those beyond-dedicated fanbases, and, although we are yet to see what the future holds, it already seems as if they are in luck. Rich in fan fiction, fan edits, fan art and cosplays, Baldur’s Gate 3 seems to be receiving the same loving and excitement-filled dedication that turned Dragon Age: Inquisition into a cult classic. One thing both games have in common is the characters and romance options that appeal to the female gaze. Edits, fan fictions, and fan art help grow the community beyond just the gamers, as Astarion’s TikTok hashtag has a whopping 533.3 million views (only 50 million less than Baldur’s Gate’s hashtag), thus prompting many of the fangirls to dub the game as the 'Astarion dating simulator'.

The studio doesn’t seem to mind fans playing favorites and has been poking fun at everyone’s love for the vampire since pre-release. Nevertheless, the lovable voice actors have become one of their significant selling points, continuously creating new content and interacting with the players. Neil Newbon (Astarion), who lent his voice to characters from games such as Resident Evil Village and Detroit: Become Human, and Tim Downie (Gale), known for his roles in Good Omens, Toast of London, and Upstart Crow, earned the titles of fan favorites after the release of a D&D game series with the BG3 voice actors on the High Rollers DnD YouTube channel.

With an active Discord server, a huge social media presence and attention beyond the gaming community on TikTok, the fandom seems to be here to stay.

What Does the Future Hold?

In an interview with IGN senior product manager Tom Butler shared that the team will continue to release patches for a while. However, they want to further develop the project, though they are currently uncertain what they want to do with it. Although there’s not enough information about DLCs at the moment, patches are here to save the day, turning around incredibly quickly and really delving into the players’ feedback. One thing fans can look forward to is mod support, as mods provide players with new and exciting ways to experience the game.

Final thoughts

With 52 hours of main story and 100 hours of side quests, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive game with significant replay value. Each new save sets us off on a brand-new journey, making the rich storytelling exciting even without potential upcoming DLCs. The game is slowly being turned into a cult-classic by the fandom, and even professionals can’t deny that we have one of the most polished and well-thought-out RPGs on our hands. With upcoming patches and hotfixes, one can be sure Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t be forgotten by players anytime soon.