Baldur's Gate 3 played for more than 10,000,000 hours in total within first week of launch

It's no surprise that Baldur's Gate 3 has turned out to be one of the biggest releases of the year. For a game that had very little hype prior to release, its popularity skyrocketed within the first few days of launch. In fact, the title is now so popular that it is seeing high concurrent player numbers, surpassing the records established by big names like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V.

Developed by Larian Studios, Baldur's Gate 3 is the third game in the franchise and is based on the Dungeons and Dragons universe. The developer recently revealed some interesting statistics about the title, which go on to show how popular it really is.

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Over 12% of player deaths in Baldur's Gate 3 can be attributed to friendly fire

Based on the infographics released by Larian Studios, a little over 12% of the total player deaths in Baldur's Gate 3 is because of friendly fire. The concept of friendly fire can be found in first-person shooters and is rather rare in role-playing games (RPG). However, considering that this mechanic exists in the title, players are required to be a bit more careful while casting spells and wielding weapons.

Moreover, what makes this statistic so surprising is the fact that the title is a turn-based RPG. This indicates that players need to be wary of their surroundings while casting spells or using weapons.

The developer also revealed that players have spent roughly 1225 years in Baldur's Gate 3. Given that there are 8760 hours in a year, the total number of hours cumulatively spent by players in the game stands at 10,731,000 hours.

While no enemy in the title has a kill count as impressive as that of the Butcher from Diablo 4, 61% of the playerbase has maintained a "good" personality. However, 39% of players have made "evil" choices in the game, thereby securing an alternate ending for themselves.

Furthermore, 328 players managed to complete Baldur's Gate 3 within the first weekend itself. These numbers prove how well-made the game is in terms of gameplay mechanics and storyline.

Although the developers have not released any financial information just yet, there's a very high chance that Baldur's Gate 3 is competing for the title of the highest-selling game of 2023.

Based on the information revealed so far, Hogwarts Legacy and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom occupy the first two slots, but there's a high chance that Baldur's Gate has outdone them already. If it hasn't done so, it will definitely surpass them once the game goes live on the PlayStation 5 on September 6.

Overall, not even Larian Studios expected the title to rake in such high numbers when it comes to players. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this game, at least in terms of player base retention.