Summary
The physical Deluxe Edition ofBaldur’s Gate 3will be mass-produced and consequently not susceptible to scalping, at least for the time being, a senior Larian Studios official said. This welcome clarification arrived a week after Larianannounced the physical Deluxe Edition ofBaldur’s Gate 3.
Scalpers gouging prices have long been a problem in the gaming space, and pretty much every limited release of a high-profile title is bound to be targeted by such anti-consumer practices nowadays. For example, it didn’t take long forscalpers to start peddling the Constellation Edition ofStarfieldat ridiculous pricesearlier this year, marking it up by up to 100%.
The mid-November announcement of the physical Deluxe Edition ofBaldur’s Gate 3prompted a similar wave of price-gouging attempts, as evidenced by the fact that over a dozeneBay listingsare currently offering the $80 bundle for $200 and upward. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Larian Studios Director of Publishing Michael Douse informed fans that they should flat-out ignore scalpers, not least because the stock of the physical Deluxe Edition is currently “holding steady.”
Larian will even be adding to its inventory during the first quarter of 2024, when the physical Deluxe Edition ofBaldur’s Gate 3is set to release, so anyone wanting to get their hands on it ought to be able to do so for the time being. The upcoming physical release hence shouldn’t have the same fate as that of the Collector’s Edition of the game, which was also targeted by scalpers since its pre-orders went live earlier this year and has long been sold out.
BG3 Collector’s Edition Is Still Being Scalped For Ridiculous Prices
The absolutelyabsurd prices that scalpers demanded for theBaldur’s Gate 3Collector’s Editionback in August have only gone up since, with several such bundles currently being listed on eBay at around $3,000, a 50% increase compared to the most expensive listings from three months ago. For reference, this limited-edition version of the game initially retailed at $269.99. Given that context, it is possible that enough fans have actually paid the scalpers' asking prices from August if the listings have only gone up in value since then.
Asked by a fan about the possibility of Larian re-releasing theCollector’s Edition ofBaldur’s Gate 3in the future, Douse recently tweeted that the company is legally unable to do so. For clarity, each of these bundles included a unique certificate of authenticity and was always marketed as part of a limited run, so producing more of them would constitute everything from false advertising to outright fraud, depending on the jurisdiction.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
