Baldur’s Gate 3 Release Times Revealed, Won’t Have PC Preload

Baldur’s Gate 3 release times have been revealed, but one feature missing is the ability to preload. This disappoints fans because the massive size of the game’s files will take forever to redownload, meaning they won’t be able to play with their friends at launch. Still, the fact we are close to an official launch of the long-anticipated game is exciting, and we have all of the details you need to know about Baldur’s Gate 3 release times and what to expect at launch.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Release Times

The official release time for Baldur’s Gate 3 is 8 AM PDT / 9 AM MDT / 10 AM CDT / 11 AM EDT for PC players on Steam and GOG only.

Here is the Baldur’s Gate 3 release times for all regions:

• Los Angeles: 8 AM, August 3
• Denver: 9 AM, August 3
• Texas: 10 AM, August 3
• New York: 11 AM, August 3
• Quebec: 11 AM, August 3
• Rio De Janeiro: 12 PM, August 3
• Dublin: 4 PM, August 3
• Gent: 5 PM, August 3
• Kuala Lumpur: 11 PM, August 3
• Tokyo: 12 AM, August 4
• Sydney: 1 AM, August 4

However, you should know a few things about Baldur’s Gate 3 PC global launch.

First, your saves from Early Access will not be compatible with the game on release day. In addition, in an official Tweet from the @baldursgate3 page, Larian recommends that players who have Early Access installed uninstall their game and then delete their save files. This will help reduce the risk of file conflicts when the final game downloads. Here is the official Tweet:

Second, there won’t be a 72-hour advanced start for those who preordered during the Early Access period since Larian moved the date back a month (it was initially slated to release on August 31 for PC). Larian confirmed this on the official Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit page.

Related: Is the Baldur’s Gate 3 Deluxe Edition Worth It?

Can You Preload Baldur’s Gate 3?

No, you cannot preload Baldur’s Gate 3. In addition, since Larian recommends that you uninstall the Early Access client of Baldur’s Gate 3, you must download the full game again at launch. This is a bit rough since most players have taken launch day off of work to play and will instead be stuck downloading 122 GB worth of files. However, the inability to preload Baldur’s Gate 3 is because Steam and GOG already have accessible files for the game. Preloading would require the installation of encrypted files, which cannot be done since there are existing files from the Early Access client.

Author’s Note: I wrote this guide while playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck.