CRPGs, including Baldur’s Gate 3, are known for being lengthy investments in terms of gameplay. During its early access phase, players were already dedicating hundreds of hours to just the first act of the game, with the main story requiring considerably less time to complete. Some players spend hours customizing their character’s race and class in the character creator, while others jump straight into the main quests. With such a large game, playtime can vary greatly depending on your playstyle, but whether you’re a completionist or not, we can provide an estimate of how long it might take to beat Baldur’s Gate 3.
How long does it take to beat Baldur’s Gate 3?
The answer to this question is complex and somewhat intimidating. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a vast CRPG that offers a personalized experience. Factors such as your character’s race, stats, skills, dialogue choices, and the outcome of skill checks can all influence your playtime. Additionally, the game features numerous optional activities and objectives which you can choose to pursue or ignore, as well as varying levels of difficulty to consider. Prior to the game’s release, Swen Vincke from Larian Studios suggested that an average playthrough would take around “75 to 100 hours, that’s what we’re seeing. That’s not doing everything, that is just going to be a playthrough. There will be people who will be way over that, the ones who want to do everything. They will probably hit 200 hours, I think. On average, we’re seeing people who are going through take about 75 to 100 hours.”
Based on our own experience, we can confirm that this estimate is accurate if you’re playing on normal difficulty and taking the time to explore sidequests and optional content. The wide range of 25 hours as an average playtime may seem excessive, but when considering factors like class choice, combat encounters, role-playing decisions, and whether you’re playing solo or in co-op, it becomes more understandable.
