Baldur's Gate 3, a game that surprised players and critics alike with its intricate gameplay and rich storytelling, isn't done turning heads and raising standards yet.

While Larian Studios has taken its sweet time releasing the game, putting it in Early Access years before launching it on the PC where it became an all-time great and eventually selling well on the PlayStation 5, this hasn't turned off console fans. In fact, its pacing seems to have a curious effect, making every release feel like a brand-new experience, and has caused the Dungeons & Dragons title to soar in popularity.

Now, ahead of its Xbox launch before the year ends, there's campfire talk of Baldur's Gate 3 hitting Nintendo's next in-development console, implying that its release is imminent.

Longtime Nintendo employee mysteriously credited under Special Thanks for Baldur's Gate 3
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The most recent leaks suggest that there might be plans to introduce the game to Nintendo's still-unannounced-but-definitely upcoming hardware, potentially the successor to the current Nintendo Switch. 

The reason? A mention of a certain individual, Etsushi Iizuka. The long-time Nintendo employee, who has worked on a handful of third-party Nintendo games since 2001, including everything from Disney Illusion Island to Dragon Quest VIII's remake on the Nintendo 3DS, implies that his name carries certain weight.

Because of this, Baldur's Gate 3 fans are wondering if the "special thanks" extended to him by Larian Studios in the end credits of Baldur's Gate 3 is a sign of things to come. 

It's possible Iizuka's connection to Baldur's Gate 3 might be tied to Larian's previous porting endeavor. Divinity: Original Sin 2, developed by Larian Studios just like Baldur's Gate 3, had been ported to the Nintendo Switch. Given the intricate process of porting Divinity: Original Sin 2, which had reportedly required a substantial rework to be compatible with the Switch, Iizuka might have had a huge hand in it. Thus, Larian may simply be expressing gratitude. But, his expertise could've resulted in the rumored Baldur's Gate 3 port on the Nintendo Switch 2 as well. 

It's clear Baldur's Gate 3 isn't making its debut on the Nintendo Switch. The last-gen console is too weak hardware-wise to consider making Baldur's Gate 3 work on it. But, we can't say the same for the next Nintendo console.

It's believed the performance of the Nintendo Switch 2 is closer to the PlayStation 5 than the gap between the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro. If it houses hardware that's better than the Steam Deck, the miracle workers over at Nintendo can make something happen.

Nintendo's approach to hardware is unique. Its emphasis on creating an exciting experience comes at the expense for high-end processing power. For Nintendo, it's no longer interested in the hardware arms race and it has worked well for them. But, if it aims to accommodate graphically intensive games like Baldur's Gate 3, the next console needs a significant performance boost. If the reports are accurate, it could be a game-changer for Nintendo, allowing them to host games that demand higher computational power.

The key benefit, aside from experiencing Baldur's Gate 3 on a new platform, is cross-platform progression feature. This ensures that should the game debuts on the new Nintendo hardware, players could transition seamlessly, preserving their in-game progress.

Then again, this hasn't stopped developers from excluding the Nintendo Switch ports of their games entirely, similar to what happened with Mortal Kombat 1.

Despite the speculation, only time will tell if Baldur's Gate 3 will grace the next Nintendo platform. However, its possible inclusion could signify a significant evolution for Nintendo, proving to gamers everywhere that they can blend fun with sheer power.

If Baldur's Gate 3 does find its way to the Switch 2, it would not only expand the game's audience but it could also serve as a powerful statement about the capabilities of Nintendo's upcoming hardware.

For now, fans can look forward to seeing Baldur's Gate 3 hit MacOS soon.