How to preload Baldur’s Gate 3

After years of early access and decades since the last entry in the series, Baldur’s Gate 3 is almost here.

Set to release on PC on Aug. 3, Baldur’s Gate 3 features a mammoth campaign that will last between 75 to 100 hours and longer for those who want to complete everything there is to offer.

Multiple playthroughs will bring new experiences, however, particularly with a staggering 12 classes and 46 subclasses, so Baldur’s Gate 3 could keep even the most dedicated gamer locked in for a long while, all of which results in even more anticipation.

Players will certainly want to start playing Baldur’s Gate 3 as soon as they possibly can on release day, which makes preloading the game an important step of preparation.

How can I preload Baldur’s Gate 3?

Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently available in early access via Steam and, once purchased, players can download the early access title. But this is far from the finished version and significant updates are coming with the official launch of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Unfortunately, there is no pre-load option for Baldur’s Gate 3 on PC ahead of the launch due to the fact it is an early access title in Steam and, if a preload was made available, the current version of the game would be unplayable.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 dice roll system, explained

That is a pretty significant blow to players who are desperate to dive into the world of Baldur’s Gate 3 as soon as possible, as the game is huge and requires 122 GB of free space to install.

Players will instead have to wait until the game goes live on Aug. 3 and it may mean an agonizing wait while the full version downloads.