We all knew that Baldur’s Gate 3 sold well. It doesn’t take an expert nor Larian Studios’ CEO to tell you that. But just how many copies it has sold so far remains uncertain even today. However, we at least have a better idea of the rough estimate.
As revealed by Swen Vinckle, Larian’s big boss, at this year’s Game Developers Conference, Baldur’s Gate 3 has achieved sales figures nearly double those of its predecessor, Divinity: Original Sin 2.
Divinity: Original Sin 2, a critical and commercial success, sold an estimated 7.5 million copies throughout its lifetime. Thus, we can assume that Larian has shipped somewhere around 15 million copies of Baldur’s Gate 3 already, positioning it as one of the best-selling modern RPGs to date.
To put this into context, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a stone’s throw away from outselling entire franchises like Mass Effect and Castlevania.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s strong sales reflects both Larian’s growing mainstream reputation and the game’s surprisingly broad appeal to casual audiences. Just last month, Larian teased that it had sold more than 10 million units of the game. Now for Larian to say that it has sold at least 5 million more since then is even more impressive, especially since it has since long passed its launch. Perhaps critics should take a good look at Baldur’s Gate 3‘s numbers so far and see if it’s just as much of a statistical anomaly as, let’s say, Helldivers 2, which maintains strong sales post-launch albeit in a shorter period of time so far.
What makes Baldur’s Gate 3‘s sales figures especially notable is its pricing, with minimal discounts offered thus, meaning the majority of the 15 million or so copies were sold at a full price.
The pricing makes Baldur’s Gate 3‘s sales figures especially notable. Larian has had no reason to sell the game for a significant discount, especially on PC. It has remained one of the most-played games on Steam since it came out. This means majority of the 15 million copies sold at full price.
Despite the game’s success, Larian Studios has made the surprising decision not to expand further on Baldur’s Gate 3 with additional DLC, expansions, or a sequel. This decision was confirmed by Swen Vincke at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and reiterated in communications from Hasbro. Instead, the studio is looking to move on to new ventures, leaving the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise uncertain. Hasbro has expressed pride in the game’s success and hinted at more Dungeons and Dragons games in the pipeline, which is understandable now Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever.
While it’s clear that Larian’s next project won’t involve the Dungeons and Dragons universe, the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 has set a new benchmark for the studio. Whatever comes next will undoubtedly be met with keen interest from fans and the industry alike.
