Baldur’s Gate 3 is an enormously successful video game: the game based on the pen & paper Dungeons & Dragons stormed through the Steam charts. On the occasion of the PS5 release, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus asked the license holders Wizards of the Coast what impact the success is currently having on the franchise.
Baldur’s Gate 3 recently celebrated its release on PS5. Previously, the role-playing game had already sold incredibly well on PC.
MeinMMO: Baldur’s Gate 3 is an enormous success with about a million players just on PC. How does it feel to see a franchise in the medium of video games rise to such heights?
Wizards of the Coast: It is fantastic to see that Larian’s stories and role-playing games appeal to so many, including critics, fans, and D&D players around the world. We knew they were the perfect partner to bring D&D into the modern video game era with this incredibly successful game.
Wizards was eagerly anticipating the console release of Baldur’s Gate 3 in early September and looks forward to a bright future for the franchise in more video games. We are very pleased with the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 on PC. We congratulate the team at Larian for already being a hit and a contender for Game of the Year!
Building on the success of 2.5 million units sold in Early Access, they have reported almost 1 million concurrent players on Steam and many more millions of units sold since the official PC launch on August 3.
MeinMMO: How did communication between Wizards of the Coast, the IP owner, and Larian Studios go?
Wizards of the Coast: As with any creative project, you have to find partners who work hard to create new experiences that not only excite and surprise brand fans but also appeal to new fans. With Larian, the work on Baldur’s Gate 3 was coordinated, and after the success they had with the Divinity series, we knew they had mastery of the RPG genre and that the game would be in good hands. Their love for D&D and their craftsmanship seems to come through in every moment of the game.
MeinMMO: Compared to less successful games with Wizards IPs in the past, such as Magic: Legends or Dark Alliance, what were the main differences?
Wizards of the Coast: We have a long history of digital games, from current examples like Baldur’s Gate 3 to Magic the Gathering Arena and Monopoly Go! on mobile to Pools of Radiance and the other early Gold Box games. Some of the best expressions of D&D are video games – but sometimes they just don’t fit quite right.
It is difficult to highlight a specific decision or feature when you have such a wide portfolio, and we are constantly learning and trying to provide the best possible video game experience.
The care and effort that Larian has put into Baldur’s Gate 3, from its beginnings in the late 2010s through three years of Early Access to its release here in 2023, have been key to its ability to truly join the ranks of classic CRPGs of all time.
MeinMMO: Regarding the recent controversy over the open license of D&D: What has changed regarding this topic since Baldur’s Gate 3?
Wizards of the Coast: Larian’s work on Baldur’s Gate 3 is not affected, as there was already a licensing agreement between them and Wizards. We support all developers of tabletop games, and that’s why we decided to place the D&D rules under a Creative Commons license so that everyone can use them as they see fit!
MeinMMO: What new ideas can we expect in the future around D&D, especially regarding video games?
Wizards of the Coast: While it is gratifying that Baldur’s Gate 3 is receiving all its well-deserved accolades, we are incredibly excited that the D&D IP will be expressed in all kinds of video game genres. There are so many ways to explore the world of D&D and find an audience among gamers after BG3 and the D&D movie: Honor Among Thieves have swung the doors wide open.
From movies, series, cookbooks, and Minecraft DLC
MeinMMO: D&D has seen a resurgence in pop culture and in society overall, thanks to things like Critical Role, Stranger Things, and the new D&D movie. What plans are there for the future of the franchise in other media?
Wizards of the Coast: We are excited that so many people are enthusiastic about using D&D as a framework for fantasy stories. There are a lot of projects we are working on that bring various aspects of D&D to life.
For example, there are movies and TV shows we would like to develop again as soon as Hollywood productions are underway. More information on some of these shows from authors like Rawson Marshall Thurber will follow. For Minecraft, there will soon be an exciting D&D story-based DLC for multiple platforms.
On the publishing side, the latest D&D cookbook Heroes Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse will adorn your tables with the most fantastic dishes you can prepare on this level, based on the IP. And if you enjoy watching people cook, the Heroes Feast show airing on the FAST channel D&D Adventures will bring some of these recipes to life in a D&D version of a cooking show.
Wizards of the Coast announced One D&D about a year ago, a new game system that will replace the current D&D 5th edition. Here’s the announcement trailer:
MeinMMO: What’s next for D&D as a whole?
Wizards of the Coast: It’s hard to believe, but Dungeons & Dragons will celebrate its golden anniversary in 2024. That’s right, D&D will be 50 years old!
Wizards will use the year to celebrate the cultural impact this game has had on awareness – from the concept of “hit points” and “levels” that can be found in almost every game on the market to a refresh of the rules that made the game such a success.
The revision of the player, monster, and DM manuals through the 2024 rules update will be accompanied by an adventure story that pays homage to the entire history of the game and its popular settings. Wizards is also partnering with a variety of other brands in 2024 to make the IP accessible to an even larger audience as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations for D&D.
We can’t reveal everything yet, but D&D fans should know that the future is so bright you’ll have to wear sunglasses!
Thank you to Wizards of the Coast for answering our questions!
Do you have any questions you’ve always wanted to ask Wizards of the Coast? Write them to us in the comments.
And if you want more Dungeons & Dragons content, feel free to check out Ready to Roll! The eight-episode first season is a collaboration with our colleagues at GameStar Talk and you can experience MeinMMO editor Sophia playing D&D. Here is the link to the first episode.
