D&D General Baldur's Gate 3 Sells Over 20 Million Copies

According to Bloomberg, Larion Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 has sold over 20 million copies. CEO Sven Vincke confirmed that 15 million copies were sold in 2024, and another 5 million in 2025.

Larion Studios, a Belgian company with over 500 staff worldwide, announced in March 2025 that the team was 'elated' not to sign up to make a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3 -- “I thought they were going to be angry at me because I just couldn’t muster the energy. I saw so many elated faces, which I didn’t expect, and I could tell they shared the same feelings, so we were all aligned with one another."

The company is now working on a title in its own Divinity series of games. Vincke also brought up the topic of AI, indicating that attempts to incorporate AI into that game were not successful and that there would be no AI in the upcoming Divinity title.

 

[TheSword]

It would have sold more if it was Teen. Sorry, not sorry.

I’m with you. The softcore porn added absolutely nothing to the story or gameplay. Particularly the puerile stuff.

If it had been taken out nobody would have said. “Yeah, it’s was ok, but what it really needed to be A++ was a bugbear doing an ogre doggy style in a barn.”

Worth also saying there is a big difference between watching something on a screen and actually acting something out around the kitchen table. The niche for an adult rated RPG is pretty minuscule as far as I can tell for that reason.

 

[Reynard]

I’m with you. The softcore porn added absolutely nothing to the story or gameplay. Particularly the purile stuff.

If it had been taken out nobody would have said. “Yeah, it’s was ok, but what it really needed to be A++ was a bugbear doing an ogre doggy style in a barn.”

I think the game's overall tone added to to its success because it made it unique and weird and interesting, in addition to be a great game with great voice acting and excellent writing. The "puerile" stuff is exactly the sort of things driving the success of The Boys and Peacemaker, neither of which would be nearly as successful if they were just more MCU dross streaming.

 

[TwoSix]

Turning BG4 into PG is not going stop dimishing. Only thing that will cause it to dimish is terrible writing.

The diminishment is going to happen no matter what direction they go, is my point. There's no "correct path forward" to suss out from BG3's success.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That is an assertion without any evidence.

There is no evidence, or even indication, that BG3 would have sold better watered down for teens.

Teen get to play it anyway, because parents don’t keep as sharp an eye on kids’ computers as they do on books.

 

[TheSword]

I think the game's overall tone added to to its success because it made it unique and weird and interesting, in addition to be a great game with great voice acting and excellent writing. The "puerile" stuff is exactly the sort of things driving the success of The Boys and Peacemaker, neither of which would be nearly as successful if they were just more MCU dross streaming.

Maybe. We will never know if that was because of all the other stuff that was good about it. it’s possible to deal with adult themes without scraping the gutter.

But it’s a design choice. Good on them for making a decision and sticking to it. My opinion is one of twenty million and I bought the game anyway. It just wouldn’t encourage me to buy the game and excepting it being D&D probably would have put me off.

 

[Yaarel]

Probably yes.

WotC should probably do some mature content. Not phb.

WotC can do Mature content, but would probably brand it as a setting, and eschew the "D&D" label.

 

[Reynard]

Maybe. We will never know if that was because of all the other stuff that was good about it. it’s possible to deal with adult themes without scraping the gutter.

Now you are just moralizing.

 

[Reynard]

Teen get to play it anyway, because parents don’t keep as sharp an eye on kids’ computers as they do on books.

Nor should they. Books either. kids are smart, and if parents actually talk to them about the things they play and read, there is no damage to be done.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Wow. My 11(almost 12 now) year old is so different. Halloween and horror is his favorite time of year. When he was 4 and we went to the spirit store to get him a costume, he walked too close to one of the scary clown animatronics and set it off by accident. When it lunged at him with arms wide open, he opened his arms and tried to hug it.

D&D art is tame in comparison.

My grandkids are a little more nervous than I think they should be (frighted of a skeleton in Zelda!) but that’s not really the point, it’s the parents that Hasbro is concerned about, which is why they focus on things that make parents uncomfortable to talk about rather than scary imagery.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The irony is a lot of teenages would rather to think D&D is something "for grown-ups" and then if they play D&D they are "breaking some rules".

Another point is that after this, the bar is set very high, and any studio that wants the license for a BG4 game will face immense pressure.

Before BG4 I would advice other setting like Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Spellammer, Planescape, Dragonlance or Birthright.

It is not only the software but the lore and the plot, the alternate dialogues.