Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox Game Pass Deal Revealed in Microsoft Leak

Politics, News Sept. 20, 2023, 11:08 p.m.

The Microsoft document leak revealed an offer to feature Baldurs Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass, potentially costing Larian Studios, given the games unexpected success.

The recent Microsoft document leak has brought to light an intriguing revelation regarding the potential launch of Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass right from its early access stage. However, this opportunity came with a financial arrangement that may have posed a significant risk to Larian Studios, the game's developer, considering the extraordinary success of Baldur’s Gate 3.

The leak, stemming from unredacted documents in the Microsoft vs. FLuzala case, unveiled various upcoming game releases, details about an Xbox Series X Refresh, a new controller, and insights into ongoing and abandoned business deals. Among these revelations was a proposed partnership between Microsoft and Larian Studios, where Baldur’s Gate 3 could have debuted on Xbox Game Pass upon leaving early access.

Interestingly, the leaked documents showed that Microsoft had initially offered Larian Studios $5 million to feature Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass immediately after exiting early access. This news would undoubtedly have thrilled Xbox fans, but it might have been a risky endeavor for Larian, given the game's estimated sales of over 5.2 million copies.

By choosing not to include Baldur’s Gate 3 in Xbox Game Pass, Larian likely retained the potential to generate millions in additional profits. This decision spared them from platform exclusivity and prevented them from giving away the game to Game Pass subscribers.

However, it's important to note that nobody, whether at Larian Studios, Microsoft, or elsewhere, could have foreseen the immense success that Baldur’s Gate 3 would achieve. The Director of Publishing at Larian Studios pointed out that "there just isn't any existing data that could have predicted how BG3 was going to perform," highlighting the unexpected triumph of the game.

In retrospect, it appears that Larian Studios made a wise choice by not pursuing the deal with Microsoft, ultimately benefiting from the game's outstanding performance. Nevertheless, it's evident that the studio is not pleased with the recent leaks that have brought this information to light.