Baldur’s Gate 3 Players Call for Larian to Cease Softening Characters for Fan Service

While the community often praises Baldur’s Gate 3 for its engaging story and romantic subplots, they also believe that Larian should not alter their writing solely to appease players in the future.

Larian made numerous changes to Baldur’s Gate 3 throughout its three-year early access period before it was fully launched in 2023. These changes were primarily driven by player feedback, addressing various elements such as dialogue, graphics, and combat.

Despite the game being fully released a year ago, Larian continues to prioritize addressing various issues and considering feedback from the community. While this has garnered praise from many players, there are some who feel that the writing in the game should not be altered to please certain players.

In a Reddit discussion, a user argued that it doesn’t make sense for companions to remain with a Mind Flayer Tav, except for Astarion, as seen in this thread.

Baldur's Gate 3 Bing Bong — Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 players think Lae’zel should break up with a Mind Flayer Tav.

The player expressed their reservations by stating, “I’m sorry, but it seems too much like fan service to me.”They highlighted that, as a Githyanki, Lae’zel shouldn’t be easily swayed to develop feelings for a Mind Flayer like Tav.

To the players, it seemed as though this was a decision made by Larian because they desired the “Will you still love me if I become a worm?”fairy-tale endings. This viewpoint was shared by several other individuals who chimed in with their opinions in the comments section.

“One user commented that Lae’zel’s previous behavior of refusing to stay with a turned Illithid was more in line with her character and had a greater impact. They expressed disappointment in the change made in a patch, and also believed it was solely for the sake of fan service.”

One other individual noted that the early access Act 1 romance with Shadowheart was “fantastic.”They expressed their desire to see how it would progress after a gradual development, but now it seems more akin to a romantic relationship with an NPC in Skyrim.

In addition, a user expressed frustration, stating: “I am tired of characters being changed for the sake of fan service instead of staying true to their original personalities.”This includes alterations made to Shadowheart and Lae’zel to make them less harsh at the start of the game, with the latter compromising her beliefs.

“According to their statement, the recent beta update has altered Astarion’s kiss animation to make the player appear happy instead of scared. This change, along with other modifications, has weakened the writing and caused inconsistencies in the characters and story.”

A few players desire the availability of an option to select whether or not the new expressions are mandatory.