Larian Studios breaks silence on Baldur’s Gate 3 “cut content” controversy with new roadmap
Larian StudiosKarlach is a Zariel Tiefling Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Larian Studios has come forward to address the “cut content“ controversy surrounding Baldur’s Gate 3 since its August launch.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has garnered critical acclaim with a Metacritic score of 96 but has also faced its fair share of criticism in recent weeks.
Players have been particularly vocal about the game’s third act, which has been marred by performance issues and bugs. Data miners have also unearthed elements that appear to have been removed, sparking debates about the game’s completeness.
In a recent community update, Larian Studios didn’t just acknowledge these concerns; they laid out a comprehensive roadmap that promises not just fixes but significant enhancements too.
The term “cut content” has become a catchphrase for a variety of issues players have with the game, from incomplete story arcs involving characters like Karlach and Minthara to entire inaccessible areas like the Upper City of Baldur’s Gate. Larian Studios categorized these concerns into three main pillars: Performance, Bugs, and User Experience (UX).
However, the studio revealed that some issues labeled as “cut content” are actually bugs. For example, certain companion reactions to world events were not triggering as intended, leading players to believe these were deliberate omissions. Larian assures that these are glitches they are actively working to rectify.
Performance, especially in Act 3, has been another sore point. Larian’s upcoming Patch 2 promises to bring sweeping performance improvements across the board, with a particular focus on Act 3. This is a welcome development for players who felt the game’s later stages lacked the polish of its earlier acts.
Larian Studios also took the opportunity to clarify that not all content discovered through data mining was meant to be in the final product. “What’s been datamined is not really cut content but content that we didn’t want to release because we didn’t think it worked,” the studio stated.
The studio is also responding to player feedback by expanding the epilogues, starting with a new optional ending for Karlach, giving her “the ending she deserves.”
Larian is not just listening but is willing to adapt based on what the community values, and for a game that has received as much love as Baldur’s Gate 3, this is no small feat.
