Baldur’s Gate 3 to Launch for PC and PlayStation 5 August 31, to Feature Voice of J.K. Simmons

UPDATE: Larian Studios wants to clear things up about the Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3. They made a statement via Reddit earlier today:

“Hey all,

Thanks for all the hype and enthusiasm following yesterday’s announcement that Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 day and date with PC on August 31st!

Xbox players, we’ve seen your questions about if/when you can expect Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox. We’ve had an Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 in the works for some time, but we have run into some technical issues – particularly with split-screen co-op. We are still working on an Xbox version of BG3, but we’re not yet confident enough to announce it. We don’t like announcing anything until we’re ready, because we don’t want to get peoples hopes up until we’re sure we can deliver.

There’s no platform exclusivity preventing us from releasing BG3 on Xbox day and date, should that be a technical possibility. If and when we do announce further platforms, we want to make sure each version lives up to our standards & expectations. Thanks for understanding!”

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At the Sony PlayStation State of Play Event, Larian Studios announced via a new gameplay trailer that Baldur’s Gate 3 will ship on PlayStation 5, PC and Mac on Aug. 31, 2023.

Larian’s latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer gave players their first glimpse at one of the next-gen RPG’s as-yet-unseen antagonists, General Ketheric Thorm, a seemingly invincible necromancer leading an army of the dead towards the eponymous city of Baldur’s Gate – and voiced by none other than acclaimed character 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.

Here’s a peek inside the recording booth with J.K. Simmons as Ketheric Thorm: https://youtu.be/qOqD3uATwSc

The latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer also includes several gameplay-related reveals:

• Split-screen Co-op: Play with up to two players on one PS5 using split-screen co-op, or play online with up to four players!
• Controller Support: Baldur’s Gate 3 has only supported mouse-and-keyboard gameplay during early access on Steam, but the new trailer provides a first look at what to expect from full controller support at launch.

Finally, the PlayStation Blog post went into detail about the offerings from Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Deluxe Edition and the Collector’s Edition, both available to pre-order for PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

All early access players on PC (including anyone who purchases the game between now and release) have been automatically upgraded to the Deluxe Edition.

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

Check out Baldur’s Gate 3 Release Date Reveal Trailer HERE

By pre-ordering the Collector’s Edition, players will also receive the contents of the Deluxe Edition, which for PlayStation 5 players also includes 72-hours early access to Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3 at launch. All pre-orders will ship in time for launch.

More information on Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on the official website. You can stay up to date with the latest Larian Studios news via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and the official Discord Server.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Gameplay Reveal Heading to PAX East 2020

Nathan Stevens

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I have always enjoyed playing video games and am a programming team lead for a video game company. I co-founded Gaming Cypher because I enjoy the gaming community and would like to provide the best news service around. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will make sure to get back to you quickly.

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