Another intriguing Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign mod has emerged to confront your party of quirky RPG adventurers. This one's a short story which lets you take a break from BG3's main story to attend a dinner party at the house of a not-at-all creepy rich bloke, who happens to be very good at jamming out on the organ via illusions.
I wake up at 3AM. Do 50 pull-ups on a halberd wedged in the door frame. Do 50 push-ups on the cold stone floor. A servant hands me my protein mead and a wine frappamachiato. I violently double fist the two beverages. I don't eat breakfast, because food that isn't flavourless cup gruel is the enemy of productivity. Then, I'm dressed in my robes for the commute to the throne room. The magic starts. It's 5AM in Crusader Kings 3 and I'm on my medieval monarch grindset.
I pull out Paradox's latest dev diary. Oh, look at that, they're working with a mystery modder on bringing exactly the sort of big number tables to the strategy game that I need to tell at a glance whether I'm out-grinding my inbred wealth-creating cousins who rule other nations across the world.
Creative Assembly have just detailed Total War: Warhammer 3’s first character pack, these being “smaller, focused content drops built around a single character with their own unique feature, supported by a handful of exciting new units”, priced (in this case) at £3.99, $4.99 or €4.99 apiece.
Crusader Kings 3 developer Paradox Black is in the midst of working on a big 'spring cleaning' update, and it's turned to modders for some assistance. Riad Deneche, QA manager at the Crusader Kings 3 studio, explains that the focus of its upcoming patch is "tackling bugs that have been haunting our backlog, and introducing a set of changes and smaller features that we believe will meaningfully enhance the CK3 experience." In service of this, it's calling upon one mysterious, upstanding member of the community to help - and Deneche says the team was "genuinely shocked" by their list of proposed fixes.
Read the full story on PCGamesN: Paradox recruits a mystery modder to improve Crusader Kings 3, and is "genuinely shocked" by how big their wishlist is
Total War: Warhammer 3 does some excellent things that I wish the tabletop game would recreate. Most of these take the form of powerful units - I want plastic miniatures (or should that be bigatures?) of the Thunderbarge and Necrofex Colossus, please and thank you. The newest addition to the game is Bhashiva and her impressive Tiger Warriors, another character and unit I'd love to make the transition from pixel to plastic.
Read the full story on PCGamesN: Total War Warhammer 3 introduces "entirely new" Tiger Warriors after working "closely" with Games Workshop
It's tempting to believe that the Diablo 3 playerbase has been eclipsed by a resurgent Diablo 2: Resurrected on one side, and Diablo 4 on the other, but according to Blizzard, that's not the case. Apparently there's still a "massive" playerbase playing Diablo 3, and it counts players in the "millions".
Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian has changed its stance on generative AI following backlash faced at the end of last year.
The Duffer brothers, creators of Stranger Things, have said the final battle of the TV series was partially inspired by Baldur's Gate 3. Matt Duffer was apparently playing the game while devising the showdown.
43.8 million player votes later, the winners of the 2025 Steam Awards have been announced, with Hollow Knight: Silksong securing top prize, Game of the Year.
In a recent Reddit thread, when asked if Baldur’s Gate III would launch for Nintendo Switch 2, Larian CEO Swen Vincke responded, saying, “We would have loved to, but it wasn’t our decision to make.” No further details were provided. Insider NateTheHate expanded on Vincke’s comment via Twitter, stating, “This is the unfortunate truth. While Larian would love to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to the Switch 2… their relationship with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast is not healthy.” The reasons behind the strained relationship between the two companies remain publicly unknown. Baldur’s Gate III is available now for PC and Mac via Steam and GOG, as well as for Xbox Series and PlayStation 5.
This is the unfortunate truth.
While Larian would love to bring Baldur's Gate 3 to the Switch 2… their relationship with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast is not healthy.
Late last year, I heard BG3 for SW2 was not happening; but needed more sources to verify. pic.twitter.com/MM5iDqjfrG
— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) January 9, 2026
Baldur’s Gate III details via the developer:
Gather your party, and return to the Forgotten Realms in a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power.
Mysterious abilities are awakening inside you, drawn from a Mind Flayer parasite planted in your brain. Resist, and turn darkness against itself. Or embrace corruption, and become ultimate evil.
From the creators of Divinity: Original Sin II comes a next-generation RPG, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Gather Your Party
Choose from a wide selection of Dungeons & Dragons races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone, and select your companions carefully, or as a party of up to four in multiplayer.
An Expansive Original Story
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. That power may help you to survive, but there will be a price to pay, and more than any ability, the bonds of trust that you build within your party could be your greatest strength. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms together.
Next-Generation RPG
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate III gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet.
No Adventure Will Be the Same
The Forgotten Realms are a vast, detailed and diverse world, and there are secrets to be discovered all around you—verticality is a vital part of exploration. Sneak, dip, shove, climb, and jump as you journey from the depths of the Underdark to the glittering rooftops of the Upper City. How you survive, and the mark you leave on the world, is up to you.
Online Multiplayer for Up to Four Players – Allows you to combine your forces in combat, and split your party to follow your own quests and agendas. Concoct the perfect plan together… or introduce an element of chaos when your friends least expect it.
Origin Characters – Offer a hand-crafted experience, each with their own unique traits, agenda, and outlook on the world. Their stories intersect with the entire narrative, and your choices will determine whether those stories end in redemption, salvation, domination, or many other outcomes.
Evolved Turn-Based Combat – Based on the Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset. Team-based initiative, advantage & disadvantage, and roll modifiers join combat cameras, expanded environmental interactions, and a new fluidity in combat that rewards strategy and foresight.
Define the Future of the Forgotten Realms – Through your choices, and the roll of the dice. No matter who you play, or what you roll, the world and its inhabitants will react to your story.
Player-Initiated Turn-Based Mode – Allows you to pause the world around you at any time even outside of combat. Whether you see an opportunity for a tactical advantage before combat begins, want to pull off a heist with pin-point precision, or need to escape a fiendish trap. Split your party, prepare ambushes, sneak in the darkness—create your own luck!
The post Baldur’s Gate III Will Not Be Coming To Nintendo Switch 2 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.
Saturdays are for putting your hand in a bucket of ice, swallowing a mouthful of honey and lemon, and breathing a sigh of relief. All that practice you put into your welcome handshake and 'Here comes trouble!' paid off. Almost every member of the treehouse has been successfully greeted home.
All bar one. But I'll get him. I'll get him good.
With Baldur's Gate 3 and its gang of rowdy adventuring mates in the rear view mirror, Larian are hoping to improve a couple of aspects of how they handle companions going forwards - a process that'll likely kick off in Divinity. In particular, the development of deeper relationships between party members and a more subtle build to the moment when the player's relationship veers into deeply horny territory are on their list of learnings.
What's that unholy rumbling? An avalanche? Ah, nothing so delicate. It's the next free update for Total War: Warhammer 3, which launches tomorrow alongside the Tides of Torment DLC. The strategy barons of Creative Assembly have just put up a blog post, and frankly, it's a mess. The Chaos demons of Salaanesh have mastered the foxtrot. The Norscans now give birth to squadrons of porters when they pillage stuff. The Trolls have discovered imperialism, the High Elves have devised a patronage system, and the Dark Elves have learned how to prioritise. It's a close-packed salvo of additions worthy of the cabin scene from A Night Of The Opera. I am trying to think of a Warhammer-appropriate Groucho joke and failing.
Valve launched its first-ever official Black Friday sale in 2025, marking a historic shift in the company’s seasonal sales strategy. The Steam Black Friday Sale 2025 runs until December 1, giving gamers a full week to score incredible deals on thousands of titles across every genre imaginable.
Whether you’re hunting for AAA blockbusters like Battlefield 6, indie gems like Blue Prince, or looking to snag hardware discounts on the Steam Deck, this year’s event delivers unprecedented value for PC gamers. From massive publisher sales to deep cuts on 2025’s biggest releases, we’re breaking down everything you need to maximize your savings during this limited-time shopping extravaganza.
What Makes the Steam Black Friday 2025 Sale Special
The sale features a large list of games across basically every genre and sub-genre you can imagine, with a lot of the discounted games including titles that launched in 2025. This year’s event represents a significant milestone for Valve’s digital distribution platform, as it’s the first time the company has specifically branded a sale around the Black Friday shopping holiday.
The 2025 Steam Autumn Sale shifted earlier than usual, separated from the Winter Sale by several weeks, creating space for this new Black Friday event. Gamers can expect discounts ranging from modest 15-20% cuts on recent November releases to jaw-dropping 80-95% price slashes on classic titles and beloved franchises.
Top Publisher Deals During the Steam Black Friday Sale 2025
SEGA Black Friday Gaming Deals
SEGA is offering up to 80% off select games, with franchises like Sonic, Yakuza, Total War, and Persona all receiving substantial markdowns. Persona 5 Royal sits at 65% off, while the tactical spin-off Persona 5 Tactica drops 70%. Soul Hackers 2 reaches its lowest-ever Steam price at just $11.99.
PlayStation PC Exclusives on Steam
Several former PlayStation exclusives have received never-before-seen prices, with games available at up to 80% off. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales both hit 60% off for the first time directly on Steam. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered offers another excellent entry point into Sony’s acclaimed franchises at competitive pricing.
Xbox Black Friday 2025 Sale
Popular Microsoft games are now up to 80% off. Gears of War: Reloaded drops to $25.99 despite launching just three months ago, while Halo: The Master Chief Collection hits $9.99. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is available for $17.49, and ReCore: Definitive Edition costs just $3.99.
Warhammer, EA, and Other Major Publishers
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available for $23.99 with a 60% discount, representing the lowest price the game has ever been on Steam. Electronic Arts titles continue offering deep discounts, while Bethesda features more than 150 games and DLC at reduced prices. CD Projekt Red’s catalog, including Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher series, sees discounts up to 90% off.
Best Steam Deck Black Friday Deals 2025
Valve has marked down the Steam Deck, with the base LCD model getting $80 less than usual. The LCD 256GB version drops to just $319.20, the lowest price ever recorded, with this deal beating any previous sale by $50.
While the premium Steam Deck OLED models aren’t receiving Black Friday discounts, the LCD versions still offer incredible value for gamers looking to enter the handheld PC gaming space. The Steam Deck remains one of the most affordable ways to access your entire Steam library on the go, with performance capable of running most indie games and smaller titles smoothly in 2025.
For those seeking alternatives, competing handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS have dropped to $449 for the Ryzen Z2 Go model at Best Buy, making handheld gaming more accessible than ever.
Top Steam Black Friday Game Deals You Can’t Miss
2025’s Biggest Releases on Sale
Battlefield 6 is on sale for $59.49, which is 15% off the regular price, notable given that it’s one of the biggest games of 2025 and has only been out for a little more than a month. Other major 2025 releases seeing discounts include Arc Raiders, which maintains its reputation as one of the best games you can buy for $40.
The Oblivion remaster is currently on sale for its lowest-ever price on Steam at 33% off, letting Elder Scrolls fans return to Cyrodiil with enhanced graphics and updated mechanics. Tales of the Shire, the cozy Lord of the Rings game, hits 30% off, making it the cheapest it’s ever been.
Deep Discount Gaming Recommendations
Blue Prince, this year’s roguelite mystery game hit, is reaching its lowest-ever price on Steam at 34% off, blending strategy, mystery, and puzzles for a unique gameplay experience. Dave the Diver sits at 45% off, combining restaurant management with light RPG mechanics and achieving an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is down 75% from its original price of $59.99 to only $14.99, representing one of the best deals during the entire sale. Resident Evil Village Gold Edition drops 70%, taking it from $49.99 to $14.99, including the base game, Winters’ Expansion, and Trauma Pack DLC.
Budget-Friendly Gaming Under $15
Games under specific price points make browsing for affordable deals easier during the Steam Black Friday Sale 2025. Smart shoppers should explore:
When Does the Steam Black Friday Sale 2025 End?
The first-ever Steam Black Friday Sale runs until December 1, providing gamers with a full week to browse thousands of discounts. Individual publisher promotions may end on different dates, so don’t wait until the final hours to make your purchases.
Black Friday Steam Deck deals sell out quickly, with the LCD 20% discount typically disappearing by Friday afternoon. Set notifications for wishlist items to catch price drops before they expire.
Steam Sale Shopping Tips and Strategies for 2025
Wishlist Management: Add games to your Steam wishlist before the sale begins. Steam will notify you when wishlist items go on discount, helping you track price drops across your most-wanted titles without missing opportunities.
Compare Prices Across Retailers: While Steam offers great deals, authorized key retailers like Humble Bundle, Fanatical, and Green Man Gaming sometimes beat Steam’s official pricing. Many competing PC game stores are running Black Friday sales on Steam codes, meaning you can still add games to your Steam library while spending even less.
Check Review Scores: Don’t let deep discounts blind you to mediocre games. Filter searches by positive review ratings to ensure quality purchases. Games with Overwhelmingly Positive or Very Positive ratings generally indicate solid experiences worth your money.
Refund Policy Awareness: Steam offers refunds on games with less than 2 hours of playtime within 14 days of purchase. If a game doesn’t meet expectations, you’re covered, making it safer to take chances on discounted titles.
Consider Multi-Game Bundles: Complete editions and multi-game collections often provide the best value during major sales. Look for Gold Editions, Ultimate Editions, and franchise bundles that package DLC, expansions, and multiple games together at steep discounts.
Hardware Price Warnings for December 2025
Memory prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%, with retailers warning that prices on gaming PCs, GPUs, laptops, and SSDs will increase after December 7, 2025. This makes the Black Friday sale potentially the last opportunity for affordable gaming hardware purchases before significant price increases take effect.
If you’re considering upgrading your gaming PC, buying additional RAM, or adding storage capacity, act before early December. The Black Friday window represents a critical opportunity to lock in current pricing before the hardware market shifts dramatically.
Alternative Steam Key Retailers During Black Friday 2025
Many competing PC game stores are running Black Friday sales featuring Steam activation codes. Legitimate third-party sellers offering additional discounts include:
Always verify you’re buying from authorized retailers to avoid key revocation issues. Stick with well-known, reputable sellers that have established relationships with game publishers.
Upcoming Steam Sales After Black Friday 2025
The Steam Winter Sale 2025 kicks off on December 18, giving budget-conscious gamers another opportunity to score deals before the year ends. The Winter Sale typically runs for approximately two weeks, often featuring similar discount percentages to the Black Friday event.
Steam also hosts seasonal sales throughout the year, including Spring Sale, Summer Sale, and genre-specific “Fest” events focusing on RPGs, strategy games, horror titles, racing sims, and more. These focused events often highlight indie developers and niche genres that might get overlooked during major seasonal sales.
Frequently Asked Questions About Steam Black Friday Sale 2025
Q: Is this really Steam’s first official Black Friday sale?
A: Yes, this is the first time Valve has specifically branded and marketed a sale as a “Black Friday” event. Previously, the Steam Autumn Sale served as an unofficial Black Friday alternative, but the company has now embraced the shopping holiday directly.
Q: Can I use coupons or promo codes during the Steam Black Friday sale?
A: Steam does not allow stacking coupons on already-discounted products. Sale prices are final, with no additional promotional codes accepted during major seasonal events. However, third-party retailers may offer their own promo codes on Steam keys.
Q: Will newer 2025 releases like Battlefield 6 be on sale?
A: Yes, many games released throughout 2025 are receiving discounts. However, the newest November releases may only receive modest 10-20% discounts, while games from earlier in the year see deeper cuts of 30-70% off.
Q: Are Steam Deck OLED models on sale for Black Friday 2025?
A: No, only the LCD Steam Deck models received Black Friday discounts in 2025. The OLED versions maintain their standard pricing, making the LCD models an even better value proposition for budget-conscious buyers.
Q: How long does the Steam Black Friday sale 2025 last?
A: The sale runs from November 25 through December 1, 2025, giving you a full week to make purchasing decisions. Individual publisher sales may have different end dates, so check specific game pages for exact timing.
Q: Should I wait for the Winter Sale or buy during Black Friday?
A: Discounts during Black Friday and Winter Sales are typically similar, though not identical. If you see a game at a historical low price during Black Friday, there’s no guarantee it will match or beat that price during the Winter Sale. Buy what you want now if the price feels right.
Q: What’s the biggest discount available during the Steam Black Friday 2025 sale?
A: Discounts reach up to 95% off on select titles, with many classic games and complete editions seeing 80-90% price reductions. The deepest discounts typically apply to older titles and complete franchise collections.
Maximizing Your Steam Wallet During Black Friday 2025
Consider purchasing Steam gift cards from retailers offering their own promotions. While Steam itself doesn’t discount wallet funds, some third-party sellers provide bonus value or cashback rewards when buying Steam credit during the holiday shopping season.
Budget-conscious gamers should prioritize building their wishlist with deliberate intent. Focus on games you’ll actually play rather than accumulating a massive backlog of unplayed titles. The average Steam user owns hundreds of games they’ve never launched, a common pitfall during major sales events when everything seems like an irresistible bargain.
Set spending limits before browsing the sale. It’s easy to justify multiple small purchases that add up to significant money. Decide your budget in advance and stick to it, prioritizing your most-wanted titles over impulse buys that might sit unplayed for years.
Final Thoughts on the Steam Black Friday 2025 Sale
This year’s Steam Black Friday sale represents exceptional value across every gaming category. Whether you’re a hardcore enthusiast with a massive library or a newcomer exploring PC gaming for the first time, the combination of deep discounts, hardware deals, and publisher participation creates a perfect storm for savvy shoppers.
The week-long duration eliminates FOMO pressure, allowing you to research purchases, read reviews, compare prices across retailers, and make informed decisions. Take advantage of Steam’s generous refund policy to test games risk-free, and don’t hesitate to explore alternative retailers for even better pricing on Steam keys.
With thousands of titles discounted across every genre, playstyle, and budget level, and hardware prices set to increase dramatically in December, the Steam Black Friday sale 2025 delivers gaming’s best value proposition before the holiday season shifts into high gear. Whether you’re clearing your wishlist or discovering new favorites, this historic first-ever Steam Black Friday event won’t disappoint.
Happy hunting, gamers. Your backlog is about to get a whole lot bigger, and your wallet might actually thank you for waiting until this sale to make your moves.
A senior developer who worked on Larian's much loved and critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3 has moved studios, and is now working with Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk studio CD Projekt Red.
More people have downloaded mods for Baldur's Gate 3 than Larian ever expected. "Way more than we ever expected," studio founder and Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke shared on X. The total downloaded-mods number now stands at more than 350m, the studio revealed, and more than 10,000 mods have been uploaded for other people to play.
