No Rest for the Wicked dev claims he never liked Baldur’s Gate 3’s $60 Early Access price, saying early supporters should get “some extra love”

No Rest for the Wicked has been in Early Access since April 2024, and players have been waiting to hear when the game will finally reach its full 1.0 release. While Moon Studios has not shared a release date yet, the studio’s CEO, Thomas Mahler, recently talked about why they decided to keep the game’s Early Access price lower than its final launch price. 

According to Mahler, No Rest for the Wicked’s price will increase from $40 to $60 once it leaves Early Access, as it’s a “premium title.” The price increase was already confirmed earlier, and it is clearly mentioned on the game’s Steam page. 

Mahler said the game launched at $40 for a simple reason: players who support a game early should pay less. Early Access users are basically taking a risk by jumping in before the game is finished, dealing with bugs, missing features, and balance issues while also providing feedback that helps shape development. Because of that, he believes those players deserve something in return.

Mahler also mentioned that Baldur’s Gate 3 launched into Early Access at its full $60 price, which he personally never liked. While different studios have different approaches, he feels that early supporters should get “some extra love” instead of paying full price from day one.

"The reason the game launched at $40 was simple: Early Access players should get a discount. BG3 launched into Early Access at full price, and personally I never loved that approach. If you support a game early, you should get some extra love."

That said, it’s worth noting that Larian Studios previously defended its decision. When Baldur’s Gate 3 was confirmed to cost $60 during Early Access, publishing director Michael Douse explained that the price reflected the size of the development team and the high production values already present in the game. He also added that the amount of content available justified the higher price, even by Early Access standards.

In the case of No Rest for the Wicked, Moon Studios is clearly taking a different route. While a price hike will happen at launch, the game will remain at $40 for now. And for those who haven’t tried it yet, the game is currently available with a 40% discount on Steam, which has knocked its price down to $23.99.