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Back when Baldur’s Gate 3 was announced at $60—a premium price by Early Access standards—Larian’s director of publishing, Michael Douse, explained to PC Gamer that the cost reflected the massive team and high-end production values behind the title. He maintained that the depth of content available even in the early builds justified the price tag.
“I believe the value is evident from day one, and that $60 investment only grows exponentially over time,” Douse remarked in 2020. “We proved this with Divinity: Original Sin 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is the next chapter of that philosophy.”
Conversely, Moon Studios is following a more traditional trajectory: starting with a lower entry fee and scaling up as the game becomes feature-complete and polished. This method incentivizes early adoption and provides crucial revenue, though for many developers, the primary goal of Early Access is harvesting player feedback while the game is still malleable.
The official Steam description for No Rest for the Wicked has long stated: “The price will increase for the 1.0 launch. The reduced Early Access cost accounts for the fact that the game is still evolving. We deeply value the community’s time and feedback during this journey and hope many more will join us before the full release.”
Mahler concluded his post by saying, “I’m mentioning this now to ensure no one feels blindsided later. If you’ve been considering the game, the current sale represents the best opportunity to dive in.”
Ultimately, both pricing models have their merits. Some players are happy to pay a premium for a high-quality slice of a massive RPG, while others expect a discount in exchange for navigating bugs and incomplete systems. Personally, I tend to wait for the finished product; occasionally, as with Hades 2, I’ll test the waters to confirm the quality before retreating to wait for the definitive 1.0 version. The only truly frustrating approach is when a game lingers in Early Access indefinitely without ever reaching the finish line.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 director shares why Early Access is essential for modern RPGs.
Source: gamesradar.com
