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Baldur’s Gate 3: release dates, file size, preorder, and early access

After many years of waiting, plus months in early access getting things just right, Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally poised for a full release on August 3 for PC and September 6 on PS5, with Xbox consoles not officially confirmed as of yet. This sequel looks to be the follow-up fans of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons spinoff have been dreaming of, with deep character customization, meaningful decision-making, and tactical turn-based combat.

Whether you’ve been following the game’s progress through the early-access versions or waiting for the final product, you will want to be ready to begin your adventure the moment the title drops on your platform of choice. We can’t help you build your character sheet, but we can at least make sure you’re ready to roll your character the moment Baldur’s Gate 3 opens.

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Baldur’s Gate 3 release time

A map showing when Baldur's Gate 3 launches around the world.
Larian

In a rare move, Larian Studios split the release date for Baldur’s Gate 3, moving the PC date forward to August 3 and PS5 version back to September 6. If you are a PC player, you can start playing at 8 a.m. PT and 11 a.m. ET on August 3. See the above map for other time zones.

Baldur’s Gate 3 file size

Larian Studios has officially stated that PC players will need 150GB of free space to install Baldur’s Gate 3, but Director of Publishing Michael Douse later stated that the game itself will only take up 122GB, noting “We like you having at least 150GB because that’s just good for you.” To be safe, we suggest having 150GB free just in case.

The file size for the PS5 version is still unknown.

Baldur’s Gate 3 preload options

A Baldur's Gate 3 character lights the way.
Larian Studios

PC players will not be able to preload Baldur’s Gate 3 prior to its launch date and time. You will have to wait until the game releases before downloading the entire game to play. However, we do know that those who preorder the Digital Deluxe Edition are eligible for 72-hour early access to Act 1 of the game only on the PS5 version of the game, implying that preloads will be done sometime before that period. The PC Digital Deluxe Edition does not include a 72-hour head start.

Again, we will update you when official word is given.

Baldur’s Gate 3 preorder details

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available to preorder as the base game, Digital Deluxe Edition on PS5, and Collector’s Edition for both PC and PS5 through its official store.

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Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
Baldur’s Gate 3 will get modding support and more in next patch
The half elf shadowheart stares pensively at glowing in her hands in Baldur's Gate 3.

Despite Larian Studios moving on to new projects, it's not abandoning Baldur's Gate 3 just yet. The studio announced that Patch 7 is on the way in September, and it's bringing some much-requested features, including the long-awaited modding toolkit. A post on Steam delves into more details surrounding the toolkit, along with new features like dynamic split-screen mode and improvements to the permadeath Honour Mode.

The modding kit uses Mod.io, so players can download mods on both PC and console. Larian will still allow players to make mods outside the toolkit, but using the software will be the best way to ensure mods will remain compatible with any future fixes. It also offers easy access to assets such as cosmetics, classes, the UI, and more, along with an interface that's not just a long list of code.

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A character speaks in Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 will finally get official modding support this September when Larian Studios releases Patch 7.

The developer confirmed this news in its latest community update on the Steam page for Baldur's Gate 3. Although this patch is a few months out, Larian announced it early because it wants to beta test what it's calling the "Baldur's Gate 3 Toolkit" prior to a wide release. It's inviting popular modders to test out the toolkit this month and will hold a bigger closed beta that supports 1,000 players in July.

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A large-scale sci-fi real-time strategy series is finally coming back with Homeworld 3, and its release is imminent. This is the only RTS series that places you in direct control of entire fleets of ships in 3D combat in some of the most beautiful regions of space we've seen. While we have to wait to see if the story has a satisfying conclusion after all these years, there are always the co-op and PvP modes to sink your time into long after the credits roll. Let's make sure your ships are refueled and ready to take off when Homeworld 3 releases.
Homeworld 3 release time
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Homeworld 3 file size

Developer Blackbird Interactive has stated that Homeworld 3 will be around 40 GB in size,so be sure you have at least that much space to spare.
Homeworld 3 preload options
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Homeworld 3 preorder details

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