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Baldur's Gate

Baldur's Gate is a role-playing video game series set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Baldur's Gate is a fantasy role-playing video game series set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons. The franchise began with BioWare's 1998 game and has since expanded into multiple sub-series and remasters.

What it is

Baldur's Gate is a story-driven RPG series based on Dungeons & Dragons. It takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a high-fantasy world, and is named after the city of Baldur's Gate, a major location in the setting. The series is commonly divided into the Bhaalspawn Saga and the Dark Alliance sub-series.

Key details

The original *Baldur's Gate* was developed by BioWare, an Edmonton-based studio, and published by Interplay Entertainment in 1998. It uses a modified version of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules and runs on the Infinity Engine. Later releases include *Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition*, *Siege of Dragonspear*, and *Baldur's Gate 3*.

Why it matters

The series has a strong Canadian connection through BioWare, which became one of Canada's best-known game developers. It helped popularize story-driven RPGs on PC and remains a landmark franchise in the genre.

In short

  • Set in the Forgotten Realms of Dungeons & Dragons.
  • First game released in 1998 by Edmonton-based BioWare.
  • Uses modified AD&D 2nd edition rules.
  • Includes enhanced editions and later sequels.
Canadian angle

The series has a strong Canadian connection through BioWare, the Edmonton-based studio that developed the original *Baldur's Gate* and became one of Canada's best-known game developers.[2][6]

Quick questions

What is Baldur's Gate?
Baldur's Gate is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Who developed the first Baldur's Gate game?
The first *Baldur's Gate* game was developed by BioWare and published by Interplay Entertainment.
When was Baldur's Gate first released?
The original game was released in 1998.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate
    Supports: Series description; division into Bhaalspawn Saga and Dark Alliance; Forgotten Realms setting
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate_(video_game)
    Supports: 1998 release; BioWare development; Interplay publication; Forgotten Realms setting; AD&D 2nd edition rules
  3. Baldur's Gate Wiki - Fandom — https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Baldur's_Gate_Wiki
    Supports: BioWare development; Infinity Engine; original release context
  4. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate:_Enhanced_Edition
    Supports: Enhanced Edition; Siege of Dragonspear; remaster details
  5. Forgotten Realms Wiki - Fandom — https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Baldur's_Gate
    Supports: Baldur's Gate as a city; its importance in the Forgotten Realms