In what might be disappointing news to fans eagerly anticipating the final release of Baldurs Gate 3, it has been confirmed that the game will definitely not be leaving early access this year.In an interview with GameSpot, Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke has confirmed that the game will remain in early access until next year. Vincke stated that "We are really trying to get the game done by next year," and that "It's not gonna release this year for sure."Baldurs Gate 3 launched in Early Access on October 6 2020, and has been receiving incremental updates and hotfixes to the game ever since. The last large update from February added the druid class to the already expansive RPG.Vincke also added that the next update was just around the corner but didnt give an exact date of when it might release. It seems like the next update will be a more significant gameplay-focused update that will address game systems and balancing issues, as opposed to adding a new class, stating that, Its more focused on features than it is on new content.Have you played Baldur's Gate III?In the interview, Vincke also touched on the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic; revealing the team at Larian have been affected by the crisis just like a number of game developers, and that this may be one reason why the game will remain in Early Access throughout 2021. Larian has not been the only studio affected by this, with Hideo Kojima revealing he has changed his development process due to the pandemic, and a significant increase in game delays affecting the industry overall.Whilst the game will remain in Early Access for the time being, Vincke appears confident that the team at Larian will be able to release the full game next year. IGNs review for the Early Access version of the game appreciated the deep combat, but noted that it definitely felt early, with regular bugs breaking the immersion whilst playing. Hopefully, the finished product will be worth the wait when it launches in 2022.Liam Wiseman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @liamthewiseman