When Baldur’s Gate 3 launches on Steam in August, the RPG will bring some changes compared to Early Access. MeinMMO shows you which ones.
Baldur’s Gate 3 celebrates its full release on August 3rd. The role-playing game has been playable in Early Access since October 2020, but new content will be added with the release of the final version.
In addition to pre-made, playable characters and new classes, new mercenaries that you can create yourself will also be added to the game. There are also updates for the character editor, a new crafting system and new story files (via Steam).
We have created an overview of the changes between Early Access and the final game for you and summarized them on MeinMMO.
Changes for Act 1, additions to Acts 2 and 3
With the full release of the game, Baldur’s Gate 3 will be supplemented by the second and third acts. Only the first act was playable during Early Access.
In a community update from July 12, the developers also write that Act 1 only accounts for a quarter of the complete content that will be available at launch.
In addition, even Act 1 in the final game has 33% more content than at the start of Early Access, as many things have been changed or added.
Introducing the “Origin Characters” including the “Dark Urge”
Beginning August 3rd, Baldur’s Gate 3 players will be able to play so-called “Origin Characters”. These are pre-made heroes who bring “their own stories, desires, and attitudes toward the world.”
If you prefer to play a self-made character instead of a pre-made character, it should also be possible to take the Origin characters as companions on your journey.
With the introduction of the Origin characters, an additional playable “The Dark Urge” will be available, giving you the opportunity to embody an ultimate villain.
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Introducing the Hireling – mercenaries for your team
If you don’t feel like having the Origin characters as companions, or you somehow manage to scare them away, you have the option of using so-called “hirelings” in the final game. These are mercenaries who can temporarily join your team.
With the full release, you have 12 hirelings to recruit—one for each class. Each of them has its own name and appearance and can be redesigned at any time.
New class and subclasses
In Baldur’s Gate 3 there are 12 classes in the final game, as the Monk adds a class to the RPG that didn’t exist during Early Access. According to lead author Adam Smith, the monk is actually the strongest class.
Baldurs’ Gate 3 also promises to bring at least one new subclass to each class introduced in Early Access when the game is fully released. There will then be a total of 46 subclasses, almost half of which will be new.
Multiclassing and Respecing
In the final game, Baldur’s Gate 3 will allow you to combine (“multiclassing”) or create (“respeccing”) classes.
With multiclassing you can design your class as you wish or as required by your role-playing game. For example, a warrior might be able to cast arcane spells, and rogues might be able to master divine magic.
By respecging, i.e. redistributing your skills, you can redesign your build. This is intended to entice players to try new combinations and experiment. In Early Access, both respecging and multiclassing were not yet possible.
Alchemy as a crafting system
The release is also expected to bring a new crafting system with the art of alchemy, allowing you to transform herbs, wild mushrooms, crystals, and monster limbs into useful items.
You can then use ingredients found in the wild to create a variety of extracts, which you then combine into potions, poisons, and oils. You can then ultimately use the end products to consume them or to wet your weapons.
Update for the character editor
The character creation toolbox is also said to have evolved compared to the early access phase. Animations that briefly present the individual races and various options have been added.
Some of the new options offer you the opportunity to freely design your character in terms of body shape, voice, pronouns and genitals:
Steam: Baldur’s Gate 3 lets you choose which genitalia you want your character to have