Microsoft called Baldur’s Gate 3 a ‘second-run Stadia PC RPG’ in leaked emails

Ben Schoon | Sep 19 2023 - 1:03 pm PT

Baldur’s Gate 3 graduated from early access recently and became essentially an overnight hit, but when Microsoft was looking at the title for Xbox Game Pass at one point, but the company didn’t seem all that thrilled with it, with execs calling the game a “second-run Stadia PC RPG.”

Microsoft’s FTC court case has been a treasure trove of secrets for the future of Xbox, but also the history of the gaming industry, such as a recent summary of how Stadia shut down. Now, leaked emails from Microsoft reveal how the company discussed the now-hit Baldur’s Gate 3 prior to its launch.

As noted by The Verge, emails from Microsoft back in May discussed the possibility of bringing Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox Game Pass, but the game apparently “barely” made the list. Instead, the game was described as a “second-run Stadia PC RPG.”

Baldur’s Gate 3 indeed did launch on Google Stadia, with the cloud platform being the exclusive way to play the game without a high-end PC. Of course, Stadia has since shut down, with Baldur’s Gate 3 making its full launch in recent weeks across PC and PlayStation. And, on those platforms, the game has become a pretty major success story, garnering praise from critics and players, and becoming one of the most popular games in recent memory.

Meanwhile, at this point, Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t on Xbox at all.