Larian has confirmed that it , and is done with the series for the foreseeable (even though ). But that doesn't mean it's the end for Shadowheart, Gale, Lae'zel, and the other beloved companions of Baldur's Gate 3. Not by a long shot.
Larian made Baldur's Gate 3, but because it licensed the Dungeons & Dragons setting, all those characters are now owned by Wizards of the Coast. And, already, it's not been shy about using them. As , BG3's companions have been fully placed in the role of the game's new mascots.
It's easy to see why WOTC would want to get the most out of them that it can. The companions of Baldur's Gate 3 are hugely popular, and the game itself reached a mainstream audience far broader than the regular D&D community. I don't think the game has had characters this instantly recognisable in its entire history—the last time it had anything close was back in 2e in the '90s with Drizzt Do'Urden, or even further back with the wizard Elminster, and even they would have been lucky to get even a fraction of the horny fanart generated by one BG3 pal. A whole new cast of ready-to-go, truly beloved mascots falling in the company's lap in 2023 is an incredible turn of fortune, one it only makes sense to take advantage of.
But with characters that we do love so much, I think it's natural to feel a bit protective as they're taken on by new stewards. Do we trust WOTC to treat them with the care that they deserve? To not exploit them for easy gains?
"The bar has been set very high, and it's our job to reach and surpass that bar," said Evans when I asked him about doing right by the characters. WOTC and Hasbro's track record as caretakers of D&D itself has been far from spotless in recent years, however—between , a consistently inconsistent stance on , enormous layoffs , and more gaffs besides, I don't think this is currently a company consumers should be giving the benefit of the doubt.
On the other hand, what this offers is a future for characters that would otherwise have simply faded away. There's certainly joy already in seeing favourites like Karlach and Astarion live on and continue to be celebrated—and particularly in the opportunities it's given the wonderful voice actors behind them to give us new performances. And if we end up with some low quality work involving them along the way, or some cynical exploitation of their status, that won't retroactively take anything away from the 100+ hour, top quality RPG experience they've already starred in, which you can always go back to, right?
You can't logic your way out of a feeling, though, and I certainly still feel a little trepidation seeing the gang become D&D's equivalent of Sonic the Hedgehog or Mario. These are characters many of us went on a long and nuanced emotional journey with, [[link]] forming some of the deepest virtual relationships currently available in games. I can't help but worry whether they'll be treated with as much respect as a renegade Githyanki, a faustian folk hero, a vampire spawn, a cleric of lies, a cursed wizard, and a soldier of Hell deserve.