Baldur’s Gate 3 players should wait to start their campaign, early access saves explained

Screenshot: Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been out for several years now, which means you can buy it now and begin your campaign, but I would advise waiting. While you can hop into Baldur’s Gate 3 and check out all the races, classes, and other exciting stuff, you should wait until the full release on Thursday, August 3, 2023, to start your Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign. Here’s why.

Note: If you can’t wait to jump into Baldur’s Gate 3, check out when the preload and launch times are.

Do Baldur’s Gate 3 early access saves transfer over to the full release?

The reason you should wait to start your Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign is because Larian Studios has confirmed that all early access saves won’t transfer over to the full release of Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s sad, but true.

When asked why early access Baldur’s Gate 3 saves won’t carry over into the full release, Larian Studios said, “The game is so vastly different that it’s not possible to make those save files compatible.” Ultimately, this is a good thing! I didn’t play the early access — I’ve been saving myself for the full release — but I think the fact that there is so much new stuff to enjoy is exciting.

On top of that, losing your early access saves is a great time to create a new character and try new experiences. For example, instead of a Druid, you can go with the new Monk class and create a ninja build. You can also choose to be more chaotic when it comes to decision-making if you were more lawful the first go around.

How to keep your Baldur’s Gate 3 early access saves

Unfortunately, there is no way to keep your Baldur’s Gate 3 early access saves. You can try turning off auto-updates to avoid the full release patch of Baldur’s Gate 3. I don’t know if that will work, but that’s the only possible way to keep your early access saves.

If you’ve had the game for a long time, enjoy the last few days with your character. If you just bought the game before its full release, hold off starting your full campaign until after Thursday, August 3, 2023. If you’re still waiting to buy Baldur’s Gate 3, reading about the 10 best spells will change your mind.