Surprise, Baldur’s Gate 3 has arrived on Xbox

Announced to have been en route to Xbox before 2023 closed out, Larian’s blockbuster Baldur’s Gate sequel has quietly launched.

Happy Holidays Xbox fans

Yes, it’s actually here. We were kinda/sorta thinking that Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 wasn’t going to make it’s promised delivery on the Xbox Series X|S before the year ended, but here we are. The game was announced during last night’s The Game Awards, and is up for purchase right now.

Of course, this is the digital edition that we’re talking about, as the physical version won’t be along till the first quarter of 2024. But if you’re hankering for a little turn-based D&D adventuring this Holiday Season, then one of the most acclaimed RPG’s in recent years is now there for the buying.

According to Larian, this Xbox drop is also fully-updated, which includes quite a bit of new content since its original emergence from Early Access. Baldur’s Gate 3 did that in August of this year, when it debuted in retail form for the PC, before making its way to the PS5 in September. Since since that time, it’s see a total of five major updates.

“Patch 5”, the latest of those, is included on day one in the Xbox Series X|S version, and serves up the new Honor and Custom game modes. But that’s not all, as the ending sequence has been expanded as well, by way of a playable epilogue. Larian says that this new story bit will be more of a tailored experience than the rest of the game too, as it’s “different for players depending on the choices they’ve made throughout their own personal adventure”.

Patch 5, the latest update, includes two new game modes: Honor and Custom. This content drop also expands upon the game’s ending, adding a playable epilogue that’s different for players depending on the choices they’ve made throughout their own personal adventure.

Choose from 12 classes and 11 races from the D&D Player’s Handbook and create your own identity, or play as an Origin hero with a hand-crafted background. Or tangle with your inner corruption as the Dark Urge, a fully customizable Origin hero with its own unique mechanics and story. Whoever you choose to be, adventure, loot, battle and romance your way across the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Gather your friends and take the adventure online as a party of up to four.

Starting today, Xbox players can enjoy the complete experience with the benefit of every patch since launch, greatly enhancing the experience. Players on Xbox Series X can avail of split-screen co-op and online play; players on Xbox Series S can play cooperatively online.

Larian press release

In addition to all of the above, Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox launch also supports the developer’s own in-house cross-save system. Providing you own the game on another platform, you can now create a free Larian account, and then dive back into any campaign you’ve been already playing on Xbox Series X|S. You’ll have to buy said Xbox edition as well, but that’s pretty neat regardless.