Shacknews Best Publisher of 2023 - Larian Studios

Operating as an independent studio, it’s impossible not to be blown away by what Larian Studios has accomplished with Baldur’s Gate 3. The studio allowed itself to take its time, spending nearly two years in early access as it received feedback from fans and used it to make Baldur’s Gate 3 the absolute monolith that it was when it launched in 1.0 late this summer.

Baldur’s Gate 3 launched on PC, but Larian Studios made a concerted effort to get the game on other platforms as soon as possible. The game came to PS5 roughly a month after its initial release, and Larian Studios was able to come to an agreement with Microsoft to work out some Xbox Series S kinks and get the game on Xbox.

As an independent publisher, Baldur’s Gate 3 wasn’t forced to launch early to hit a quarterly earnings target, nor has it been boggled down by forced exclusivity. It’s abundantly clear that the game is better off thanks to the fact that Larian Studios was piloting the ship the whole way through. The studio has managed to parlay its success with frequent updates and a Deluxe Edition to keep fans satiated.

Be sure to read over the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2023 feature.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_