Highlights

  • Baldur's Gate 3 characters, like Astarion and Shadowheart, have become iconic in gaming history due to their complex stories and sympathetic nature and fans may be eager to see them in future D&D content.
  • Wizards of the Coast faces the challenge of preserving the integrity of fan-favorite characters from Baldur's Gate 3 in future media to avoid upsetting fans and it may be safer to avoid using these characters again.
  • To successfully incorporate popular Baldur's Gate 3 companions in future content, Wizards of the Coast should consider subtle cameo appearances rather than major story roles to prevent altering their character development and potentially upsetting fans.

The massive success of Baldur's Gate 3 has catapulted the CRPG genre back into the spotlight and given players access to one of the best Dungeons and Dragons games in decades. Unfortunately for Baldur's Gate 3 fans, developer Larian Studios has cut ties with Hasbro and will be moving on from the franchise going forward. This blow to the franchise means beloved Baldur's Gate 3 characters will be in the hands of D&D IP holder Wizards of the Coast, who will need to tread carefully if they plan to utilize the game's companions in future pieces of media.

Baldur's Gate 3 has a cast full of complex and sympathetic characters that have captured the hearts of fans with their stories throughout the course of the game. At the top of the list of Baldur's Gate 3's best characters are the game's companions, who've earned their own place in gaming history as some of the most notable gaming icons of recent years. Companions such as Astarion and Shadowheart have developed dedicated fans who may be eager to see these characters show up in future D&D games, putting enough pressure on Wizards of the Coast to potentially cause them to avoid using these characters again.

Baldurs Gate 3 Awards Won
Related
Every Award Baldur's Gate 3 Has Won Since Launch

Since launching back in August 2023 Baldur's Gate 3 has earned critical acclaim everywhere it's looked, and that includes a number of big award shows.

Wizards of the Coast Can't Risk Altering Fan-Favorite Characters from Baldur's Gate 3

Doing right by beloved characters can be a tough task, especially when working with characters established by a different development team. With Larian no longer working with Hasbro and the Baldur's Gate franchise, whichever developer Wizards of the Coast taps to make Baldur's Gate 4 will have the colossal task of following up the masterpiece that is Baldur's Gate 3. Trying to incorporate fan-favorite companions from Baldur's Gate 3 while matching the same quality of writing of Larian would only make developing Baldur's Gate 4 even more challenging.

To make matters worse, Wizards of the Coast could run into the tricky situation of upsetting fans of Baldur's Gate 3's companions by taking their characters in an unpopular direction in future media. In this case, it may be easier for Wizards of the Coast to abandon these characters altogether rather than walk on eggshells when using them in other D&D content. While it may be disappointing for fans of Baldur's Gate 3 to potentially never see these beloved characters used again, it might be for the best given Wizards of the Coast's controversial track record among fans, and it would be better to let these characters stand than risk tarnishing their identities.

How Wizards of the Coast Can Tread Carefully with Baldur's Gate 3 Companions

wizards of the coast ai magic the gathering scandal

If Wizards of the Coast does intend to build on the popularity of Baldur's Gate 3 and utilize its most popular characters in future content, there are some ways the company could carefully incorporate them so as not to risk upsetting fans. While many fans enjoyed seeing classic Baldur's Gate characters like Jaheira and Minsc return in Baldur's Gate 3, future games should limit past companions to cameos to avoid taking their characters in the wrong direction. For example, an NPC in Baldur's Gate 4 could speak of a Tiefling with an Infernal Engine for a heart who once escaped Zariel's army as a small reference to Karlach.

In other D&D media, Wizards of the Coast would be wise only to use the likenesses of these companions rather than attempt to feature them prominently in any major stories. For example, the use of the Baldur's Gate 3 companions as cards in Magic: The Gathering is a nice way to include these characters in D&D media that doesn't run the risk of altering their characterization. The company should try to find more ways to give these characters small nods rather than prominent roles if they are intent on using them for future D&D content, as doing so is less likely to change their character development in a way that might be controversial among fans.