Microsoft initially had modest expectations for Baldur's Gate 3 before its official release, as a leaked document has recently unveiled. However, developers at Larian Studios remain unperturbed by these revelations. In response to the leaked document, the game's Publishing Director came to Microsoft's defense.

Since its highly anticipated release on August 3rd, 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 has emerged as one of the standout titles of the year. The game achieved record-breaking player numbers on the Steam platform, securing a spot in the coveted Top 10 list. Furthermore, it outshone Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to become the highest-rated game of 2023 on Metacritic. Even in September, the player count on PC alone remains steadfast, exceeding 250,000.

The leak, originating from a May 2022 document accidentally revealed during the Microsoft vs. FLuzala lawsuit, dismissively labeled Baldur's Gate 3 as a "second-run Stadia PC RPG." The document disclosed Microsoft's contemplation of securing the game for PC Game Pass at an estimated cost of $5 million. Among the various upcoming games evaluated for Game Pass inclusion, a table within the email placed Baldur's Gate 3 at a relatively low position.

Responding to these revelations, Publishing Director Michael Douse took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to offer a measured defense of Microsoft. He pointed out that others shared similar reservations, highlighting that this hesitancy was not unique to Microsoft's perspective. He emphasized that it's challenging to predict the performance of a game like BG3 due to its genre and unique approach, necessitating bold leaps into the unknown.

Interestingly, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer ranked Baldur's Gate 3 near the bottom of potential Game Pass additions. Conversely, they anticipated allocating around $300 million to secure Star Wars Jedi: Survivor for the service, assuming EA would agree to the deal. Baldur's Gate 3, categorized as 'Hub,' outperformed its initial expectations significantly.

Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, even admitted uncertainty about the game's performance. He humorously expressed a desire to converse with the Microsoft analyst responsible for the evaluation in a tweet.

The immense success of Baldur's Gate 3 has prompted Microsoft to reconsider its policies concerning feature parity between Xbox Series X and S to ensure a console release. Nevertheless, official Game Pass plans for the game remain undisclosed at this time.

Baldur's Gate 3 has already debuted on PC and PS5, with preparations underway for its Mac release. Additionally, Larian Studios has plans to launch the game on Xbox as soon as possible, further cementing its status as a gaming phenomenon of 2023.