Baldur’s Gate 3 announces August launch, J.K. Simmons as major villain

A new trailer has hit for Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3, confirming an August launch for the game, along with a necromantic heavy played by J.K. Simmons.

Marching on the Gate

Whatever you’ve seen of BG3 so far, it’s left out a major piece with General Ketheric Thorm. A beyond-powerful necromancer, it sounds like Thorm will be the major baddie in the turn-based RPG. And he should have quite the presence too, thanks to the vocals of actor J.K. Simmons.

“Ketheric is a man with complex ambitions and motivations, so in searching for his voice, we knew we needed to work with a renowned character actor who could deliver the kind of nuanced performance we were looking for – so we decided to cast J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-Man). While we expected it, we were still amazed at how much his performance helped deepen the character. We’ll introduce you to two more antagonists over the coming months – keep an eye out,” explained Larian creative director Swen Vincke in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

Swen Vincke Larian Studios creative director

Along with the reveal of Thorm, Larian also announced that Baldur’s Gate 3 will sport full controller support. Of course, that kind of was implied since it’ll be appearing on the PS5, but still. Oh, and speaking of the PS5, players on the platform will find that the title will also support 4 player online and off co-op. How’s the “off” work? Via split-screen.

And finally, there are some special editions to chat about. Baldur’s Gate 3 will hit with both Deluxe and Collector’s editions, and they’ll be pretty loaded.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition

This fully digital Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 contains:

• Playable Bard Song Pack featuring songs from Divinity: Original Sin 2
• Exclusive in-game dice skin
• An Adventurer’s Pouch containing supplies to help you get your journey started
• Digital downloads of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Original Soundtrack, artbook and character sheets
• 72-hours early access to Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 beginning Aug. 28, 2023 [PS5]

As well as this pack of items inspired by the BAFTA Award-winning Divinity: Original Sin II:

• Mask of the Shapeshifter: Allows you to change race and appearance on the fly, inspired by Fane
• Cape of the Red Prince: Cloak inspired by the Red Prince
• Lute of the Merryweather Bard: Playable instrument inspired by Lohse
• Needle of the Outlaw Rogue: Dagger inspired by Sebille
• Bicorne of the Sea Beast: Headgear inspired by Beast
• Paintings from Rivellon: Discover a new collection of paintings across the Forgotten Realms

Baldur’s Gate 3 Collector’s Edition

Each Collector’s Edition contains:

• A digital copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition
• Custom sticker sheet
• 25cm Mind Flayer vs. Drow battle diorama
• 160-page hardcover art book
• Cloth map of Faerûn
• Set of D&D-inspired origin character sheets
• Metal tadpole keyring
• Magic: The Gathering booster pack
• Custom-engraved metal d20, plus an in-game version!
• Certificate of authenticity

Look for all of the above to hit the PS5 and/or PC on August 31st, 2023.