Love Baldur's Gate 3? The DnD games that started it all are now on Game Pass

Considering the immense popularity of Baldur's Gate 3, I'm a little surprised at how few people have played its predecessors. Listen, I get it. They're more difficult to play on modern hardware, some of the mechanics are archaic, the graphics not as realistic, and you can't shag a bear. But they're both fantastic RPGs in their own rights, and well worth your time, especially if you want to find out more about the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Luckily, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 arrive on Game Pass today, making the classic fantasy romps more accessible than ever.

This news comes just days after Microsoft announced it was increasing the price of Game Pass subscriptions, limiting day one new releases to its most expensive tier which now costs $29.99 / £22.99 a month. Baldur's Gate and its sequel can hardly be called new releases, though, so they're coming to all but the cheapest tier of the service.

Even though our best Game Pass games list is brimming with quality, the price hike has led to many players canceling their subscriptions. With monthly costs increasing by as much as $10 / £8, it's hardly surprising that people felt priced out of what was once a cheap way to try new games or access classics.

However, October's offering shows there's still a wealth of great titles coming your way if you've kept up your subscription or moved to a lower tier. The first two Baldur's Gate games and Supermarket Simulator kick off this month's new additions to Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, and later this month both tiers will receive The Casting of Frank Stone, The Grinch: Christmas Adventures, Pax Dei, and Evil West. Ultimate subscribers will also get their hands on new releases Ninja Gaiden 4, Ball x Pit, and Keeper.

Whether it's worth keeping up the sub or not is up to you, but I'll happily go to bat for the quality of both Baldur's Gate games any day of the week. With great systems and strong characters, the RPGs have aged like fine wines. Catch up with the likes of Minsc and Jaheira, fling fireballs at kobolds, and generally live out your roleplaying dreams.

Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 are available on Game Pass today, Thursday, October 9 for Premium and Ultimate subscribers. 

If this has got you in the mood to roleplay but you canceled your subscription, check out some of the best fantasy games as an alternative. Or you could try some Baldur's Gate 3 mods to give it that classic feel.

Which is your favorite Baldur's Gate game? Let us know in our community Discord server, where we spend days debating the morality of recruiting Minthara.