Baldur’s Gate 3 Demand So High, Steam Is Quickly Dying

The Baldur's Gate 3 launch is causing Steam to slow down and throw out errors.
A screenshot of Baldur's Gate 3, as four companions try and survive against difficult terrain and fire in the turn-based combat system
Image: Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 launch day has arrived, and it appears the demand for Larian Studio’s latest RPG is so intense that our good friend Steam is starting to buckle under the pressure. Yes, you heard it right folks – we’re talking slowdowns and “Steam Content Servers Unreachable” errors. Now that’s some serious fan love right there! It seems that a lucky 23,455 people have managed to get into the BG3 at the time of writing this, according to Steam.db, with no doubt thousands more sitting on their heels. Three years ago, Baldur’s Gate III it hit a peak of 73,980, and I can guarantee plenty of people patiently waiting for the full release.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Steam’s no stranger to game launch days. It’s hosted countless big releases over the years and generally does a pretty good job most of the time. But the rush for Baldur’s Gate 3 seems to be something else entirely. The pent-up demand is clearly massive, no platform is entirely bulletproof.

One particular point of pain? The lack of preload option for BG3, thanks to some pesky Steam limitations. Now, normally, you’d be able to download most of the game’s data in advance to avoid just this kind of situation. But not this time. Nope, this time, we all get to download a whopping 122GB of game data simultaneously. And for those of us not blessed with lightning-fast internet? Well, let’s just say the wait is, uh, noticeable.

Typically, Steam recovers after a few hours of such high-demand incidents, but those hours can stretch into what feels like an eternity for us waiting on the other side. As an experienced gamer and dedicated player, I can empathize with the mounting frustration.

You can read more about Baldur’s Gate 3 by checking out our BG3 guides section.

Mark Carpenter

Mark Carpenter

Mark Carpenter is the Managing Editor at Try Hard Guides, and main guide writer. With over five years of experience in games media, including almost three years as an Assigning Editor for Pro Game Guides, and before that a Staff Writer.

His writing and game guide work has also been featured on platforms such as Metro UK and Game Rant, along with other smaller publications. He has been a devoted gamer since the days of Amiga, with a journey spanning roughly 31 years.

Mark's future goals are to grow the Try Hard Guides network as much as possible while helping gamers everywhere with gaming guide content. When not immersed in gaming, Mark enjoys delving into the worlds of D&D (Dungeons & Dragons), strumming his guitar, and indulging in a good read. His heart belongs to RPGs, the Final Fantasy series, and The Legend of Zelda. Moreover, he has a keen affection for dogs.

Contact: mark@tryhardguides.com

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