Romance is a huge part of Baldur's Gate 3, which contains a diverse range of inclusive romance options for players. So far, Baldur's Gate 3's romanceable character Astarion appears to be one of the most popular romances, perhaps owing to his complex personality, backstory, and entertaining dialogue. Astarion is an anti-hero with a selfish and sadistic nature who also possesses a mysterious and charming allure with the possibility of good.
Game ZXC recently spoke with Astarion actor Neil Newbon about playing the vampire companion and Baldur's Gate 3's romance and intimacy more generally, including the infamous bear sex scene that took the community by storm. Newbon also talked about the game's approach to creating romance and intimacy scenes, including the role of Intimacy Directors and more.
Astarion Actor Neil Newbon Discusses The Bear Scene of Baldur's Gate 3
The final Larian Studios' Panel of Hell before release made waves in the gaming community for its infamous bear sex scene, where Larian's chat pushed for the option to have Halsin remain in bear form for intimacy (something that got the video banned on TikTok). Indeed, Baldur's Gate 3's sex scenes are diverse, even beyond the bear scene, as players may possibly encounter in the game. For many, the bear scene was a hilarious moment, made even more so by the community's reaction. When asked what it was like to perform and see fans' reactions, Newbon said,
I thought it was hysterical. I really liked the fan reaction. Obviously, they were going to push for that. It was like putting some candy in front of your child saying, "Don't eat that" and then leaving the room. What do you think is going to happen to that candy? I thought it was great.
Of course, despite the hilarity of Halsin being a bear, there was something more important underlining this scene: that it be done in a safe, secure way.
The fact that he turned into a massive bear is kind of almost beside the point. That's not really the driving force of the scene, you know? We just have to play it honestly, truthfully, with professionalism, and enjoy it, have fun, and make sure that everybody, including the crew, are comfortable with the material we're doing. We had intimacy directors on standby that Larian and PitStop both got, which is incredible and very cool of them for doing that, making sure everyone is in a safe space, which they were and they were looked after. I feel that every...certainly every actor I've spoken to, which is a majority of the cast of over 300 people, everybody had a good time working on this.
Newbon added he actually directed Dave Jones in the scene, who plays Baldur's Gate 3's romanceable character Halsin the Druid, but wasn't initially aware Astarion was going to be used for the model in the Panel, describing this as "really funny." Newbon would praise the inclusion of Intimacy Directors and the use of closed sets so that, even the less serious intimacy scenes, were still treated as such. The precautions taken by Larian and PitStop expanded beyond just intimacy, with Larian flagging the script for potential triggers and everything. Indeed, the end result of this scene, for Newbon, was worry for the squirrel: "I feel sorry for the squirrel. That's the one I want to check in on. Is the squirrel okay?"
Neil Newbon Talks Baldur's Gate 3's Romance And Intimacy Scenes
Pursuing romance options in RPGs is a popular pastime for many players and perhaps another driving force behind Baldur's Gate 3's success. When discussing romance in Baldur's Gate 3 more generally, Newbon further praised Larian Studios' overall approach to romance and intimacy, including its use of Intimacy Directors, a growing role within game development. As Newbon explained, Intimacy Directors ensure that actors feel "supported and secure" when performing sex scenes and how to go about them, praising their inclusion. Beyond that, Intimacy Directors would help approach any scene that could be triggering, such as violence or torture, and are overall a great resource for actors in Baldur's Gate 3 and beyond.
I think it's very cool that they included intimacy directors and that they were there on standby for people. Actors could request them, and there was no issue at all. The way it usually works for intimacy is that you talk to the actors about what it is you're going to shoot, you go through it, and you flag anything that they find uncomfortable or potentially triggering. It doesn't have to be sex either. It can be things like torture, it can be trauma, you flag anything they have difficulty with. The intimacy director works with the narrative director, performance director, or voice director to find a way to make the space safe.
While scenes like the bear scene might be entertaining, it's evident a lot of thought and care went into creating Baldur's Gate 3's romance and intimacy scenes for both those involved and for the community to enjoy, regardless of the specific happenstance. In addition to this, the script would be flagged for potential triggers and closed sets were strictly enforced.
On top of the intimacy directors, they also made sure it was a closed set... The door was closed, the sound was dampened outside the studio that we were filming in, and so only the people involved in it were actually involved in it...It was a very good experience in that way.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC.
