Baldur's Gate 3 had a long early access period—opening its doors in October 2020 before finally dropping in August 2023, almost three years (1,031 days, to be exact) later. It was a vastly different game to what it is now. For instance, I remember my inner D&D rules lawyer being very upset that firebolt made a damaging surface—that misstep, as well as a few others, were corrected for the better, producing what I'll happily call one of the strongest RPGs we'll see this decade.
The success of those fixes stem from Larian's approach to early access, which is rooted strongly in player feedback, adjustment, and constant maintenance. While attending BAFTA's "An Evening with Baldur's Gate 3", Larian Studios co-founder and CEO Swen Vincke, writing director Adam Smith, and lead writer Chrystal Ding were asked by interviewer Jane Douglas whether they believed in early access as the future of game development.
