Baldur's Gate 3 Is Proof That We're In a Golden Age for RPGs | Asmongold Reacts | Asmongold
August 7, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readBaldur's Gate 3 Is Proof That We're In a Golden Age for RPGs
In early August 2023, Larian Studios released Baldur's Gate 3 after a lengthy early access period, and it quickly became one of the year's breakout successes—hundreds of thousands of concurrent players on Steam, rave reviews, and even non-gamers asking what the fuss was about. The conversation around the game raises a central question: Is Baldur's Gate 3 a fluke, or is it the clearest signal yet that role-playing games are having a genuine golden age?
Why Baldur's Gate 3 Broke Through
The hosts debate whether the game's success comes from the RPG genre itself or from being a fundamentally good game. One argues that "the reason why Baldur's Gate 3 is so successful is because it's a fundamentally good game," comparing it to Street Fighter 6 revitalizing fighting games. The other pushes back, pointing to the sheer scope of what players can do: "You can kick squirrels and fuck bears. You can do whatever you want in the game. That's why it's interesting."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:31) **Baldur's Gate 3 Breaks Out** - The episode opens by noting Larian's game as 2023's breakout success, with Asmongold immediately disagreeing with the premise that it's about the RPG genre itself.
- 2 (04:06) **Streaming as a Success Driver** - The host argues streaming is a huge factor in game success, citing examples like Among Us and Fall Guys that blew up through streamers.
- 3 (05:08) **The RPG "Death" and Revival** - The host recounts a 2014 interview with Josh Sawyer about how isometric RPGs died in the late 2000s, deemed too dense for mainstream audiences.
- 4 (06:45) **The Witcher 3's Turning Point** - The host identifies The Witcher 3's 2015 success as a major shift, proving there was a hunger for deeper, choice-driven open worlds.
- 5 (10:10) **Skyrim's Enduring Influence** - The host ranks Skyrim and The Witcher 3 as two of the most influential games of the past decade, with Asmongold arguing Skyrim may be even more influential.
- 6 (11:06) **Modern RPG Diversity** - The host lists recent RPG successes like Disco Elysium, Fire Emblem Three Houses, and Genshin Impact, showing the genre's explosion in variety.
- 7 (12:38) **RPGs as "Meaty" Value** - The host argues RPGs feel worthwhile in an era of $70 games, filled with secrets and content, and notes that "thirst" for romantic pairings drives success (citing Genshin Impact).
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Show Notes
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