The huge 122GB Baldur’s Gate 3 preload will not be available to download early
A lesser-spotted unpreloadable preload appears…
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Larian has confirmed that theBaldur’s Gate 3preload - a whopping 122GB of goodness - will not be available to download ahead of the game’s release date on August 3rd.
Baldur’s Gate 3is one of the most anticipatedupcoming gamesof the year, and with only a few short days to go, many folks were hoping to get everything in order by preloading the game ahead of launch. However, as reported by our friends at sister sitePC Gamer, in a newpost on Steam, Larian has confirmed that: “Baldur’s Gate 3will launch on August 3rd at 5pm Gent time, or your non-Belgian timezone equivalent… There will be no pre-loading of the game before then.” Pretty categoric, then.
To be clear right at the top here,Baldur’s Gate 3launches at 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm BST on August 3rd - but if you’re looking for a handy graphic to see when exactly when your release time is, then Larian has provided a delightfully on-brand image, which we’ve put below.
At first, it does seem strange to hear that theBaldur’s Gate 3preload is bucking the trend of videogame preloads by, well, not allowing a preload, but apparently it’s a limitation ofSteamand the fact that the game has been out in early access for so long, according to our expert and learned siblings at PC Gamer. It also follows Larian’s logic of the game’s release being a clean, fresh start for players. No existing files can be used or relied on (from early access), in the same way that no existing saves will be compatible as the full release is so different.
Either way though, that is bad news for fans of what’s likely to be one of thebest RPGsof the generation. Send good vibes and thoughts to anyone with a slow or unsteady internet connection in particular, as 122GB is not small. This likely means that the release time is actually just not going to be ‘Actual Play Time’ for a lot of people.
For clarity, and to complete the information on preloads, there is no news about aBaldur’s Gate 3PS5preload as of yet, and, naturally, no news on anXbox Series Xone as there is no release date for the latter still. We will update this story if we get any more information on preloads across any platforms.
Given its popularity in Early Access, Baldur’s Gate 3 is likely to be on many folks’best PC gameslists for this year.
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Rob is the Managing Editor of TechRadar Gaming, a video games journalist, critic, editor, and writer, and has years of experience gained from multiple publications. Prior to being TechRadar Gaming’s Managing Editor, he was TRG’s Deputy Editor, and a longstanding member of GamesRadar+, being the Commissioning Editor for Hardware there for years, while also squeezing in a short stint as Gaming Editor at WePC just before joining TechRadar Gaming. He is also a writer on tech, gaming hardware, and video games but also gardens and landscapes, combining the two areas in an upcomingbook on video game landscapesthat you can back and pre-order now.
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