Path of Exile and its sequel, Path of Exile 2, are exclusively tied to the live-service format. The original free-to-play game has spent over a decade adding and expanding on itself with millions of players jumping into its world on PC and console.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has also seen millions of players, but it is not live-service at all. While the game did receive some hefty post-launch patches and improvements, the game is a paid experience without any microtransactions or even DLC expansions, despite the fact that players would jump at the bit for a classic expansion.
In a recent video talking to fans, Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson revealed that Baldur’s Gate 3 made him change his mind on live-service games. Prior to Larian’s RPG, Wilson “felt that live-service was entirely upside, in all cases”, he said, adding that it meant a success could always be more than it launches as.
“[Live-service] often meant that a game could be free,” Wilson said. “It meant that a game had variable monetisation so people who didn’t want to spend money didn’t need to spent very much money.” He adds: “it meant that because a game was getting constant updates there was always more to the game”.
Wilson explains that there is a major drawback to live-service. A released game can stay that way forever—new fans can’t come in and dictate change after its launch. In live-service, the developer explains, “you have to make certain changes, even if you do not believe that it’s the right thing for the game because, otherwise, your release will get boycotted. Or you’ll get review-bombed.”
“Games that do not have any changes because they’re just finished and complete don’t have pressures,” he continued, “because the players aren’t going to be getting any patches.” While there is still a heavy post-launch patching period for most modern games, even Baldur’s Gate 3, they’re not forced to constantly adjust to the whims of community.
Wilson explains that he thought “live-service games were the future” until Larian’s RPG dropped. “I would’ve scoffed at something like Baldur’s Gate 3, which isn’t getting a sequence of updates. As we know, people loved that game, and there are reasons why that model works well for certain types of games.”
There is a world where Baldur’s Gate 3 could’ve been live-service and could still be getting updates and new content to this day. However, as Wilson explains, it likely wouldn’t fit the audience who craves a dense, single-player RPG without the baggage of evolving mechanics, battle passes, constant expansions, and more.
While a team working on something like Path of Exile excels at continuing a game, studios like Larian thrive on new journeys. Baldur’s Gate 3 is done and dusted, and the team is now working on Divinity. While it would’ve been nice to see a tried-and-true expansion for BG3, the team simply wanted something new, and that’s also a viable path forward.
