Editing Early Access

'''Early Access''', or ''EA'' for short, is the funding and development model [[Larian Studios]] followed at the start of the game. Early Access games consists of buyers receiving an unfinished and/or unpolished version of the game in order to help providing feedback and funds, helping on the completion of it.

Larian decided to follow this model after seeing their continuous success in their previous games, Divinty: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin 2, which followed the same model. 

The Early Access of [[Baldur's Gate 3]] started on October 6th, 2020. Since then, Larian has released multiple patches fixing bugs and changing or adding content depending on the users' feedback. At the start, the game offered a limited amount of [[classes]], [[races]], [[companions]] and quests.

Baldur's Gate 3's ''EA'' costed 60 US Dollars and remained the same on release. Early Access buyers '''did not''' have to buy the game again on full release.

The updates could be divided in two big groups; '''hotfixes''', which only focused on fixing a certain amount of usually game-breaking bugs or crashes, and '''patches''', which were updates usually surpassing 50 GB on size and added or vastly modified content and improved stability.

== Timeline ==
''Main page: [[Patch notes]]''

=== 2020 ===
* '''February'''
'''27''': Gameplay reveal at PAX East.
* '''August'''
'''25''': Early Access is announced to be launched on September 30th.
* '''October'''

'''6''': '''Early Acess is launched.'''

'''7''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=679372#Post679372 Hotfix #1] is released.

'''8''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=681702#Post681702 Hotfix #2] is released.

'''9''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=684502#Post684502 Hotfix #3] is released.

'''13''': [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940?emclan=103582791464711919&emgid=2896336186753128622 Patch 1] is released.

'''27''': [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940?emclan=103582791464711919&emgid=2934618050801266876 Patch 2] is released.

'''30''': [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940?updates=true&emclan=103582791464711919&emgid=2924485584688473627 Hotfix #4] is released.

* '''December'''

'''2''': [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940?emclan=103582791464711919&emgid=2894089457947101686 Patch 3], first in a line of tens of GBs in size and save-breaking patches is released. This patch focused on stability and added options for pacifist players.

'''8''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=743340#Post743340 Hotfix #5] is released.

'''15''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=744847#Post744847 Hotfix #6] is released.

=== 2021 ===
* '''February'''

'''25''': [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940?updates=true&emclan=103582791464711919&emgid=3030330956943251733 Patch 4] is releasead. [[Druid]] class is added alongisde an improvement on cinematics, stability and multiple ''Quality of Life'' features.

'''26''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=760262#Post760262 Hotfix #7] is released.

* '''March'''

'''4''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=762435#Post762435 Hotfix #8] is released.

'''23''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=766574#Post766574 Hotfix #9] is released.

* '''April'''

'''15''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=769744#Post769744 Hotfix #10] is released.

* '''May'''

'''12''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=772940#Post772940 Hotfix #11] is released.

* '''July'''

'''15''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=780440#Post780440 Patch 5] is released. A patch bigger in size than the fourth one, this update improved and changed multiple systems users sent feedback about: mainly the camping and dice rolling system, besides adding point-and-click barks, background goals and cinematics.

'''22''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=782296#Post782296 Hotfix #12] is released.

* '''August'''

'''5''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=785381#Post785381 Hotfix #13] is released.

'''24''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=788665#Post788665 Hotfix #14] is released.

'''31''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=789290#Post789290 Hotfix #15] is released.

* '''October'''
'''14''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=792767#Post792767 Patch 6] is released. A patch bigger in size than the fifth one, this update added the [[Sorcerer]] class. alongside the [[Grymforge]] region and a vast graphical update. Also, the typical bug-fixing and stability improvements.

'''21''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=795172#Post795172 Hotfix #16] is released.

'''28''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=797296#Post797296 Hotfix #17] is released.

* '''November'''

'''16''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=800681#Post800681 Hotfix #18] is released.

* '''December'''

'''2''': [https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=802923#Post802923 Hotfix #19] is released.