It’s been three years since Baldur’s Gate 3 was released, so developer Larian has data-dived to recover some illuminating statistics. Such as: non-Dark Urge players being surprisingly murderous.
Alongside an infographic detailing the most-killed story NPCs in the game – it’s argumentative tiefling Zevlor, from the Druid’s Grove, if you’re asking – Larian revealed that “more non-Dark Urge players have managed to murder Alfira than Dark Urge players”.
This is remarkable because as a Dark Urge player, you have no choice: if the tiefling bard Alfira stays with you in your camp overnight, you will slaughter her in her sleep. This has to happen, Larian once explained to me, to show what you’re capable of as the Dark Urge. But you have no such “it happened automatically!” excuse if you’re not the Dark Urge. That a greater proportion of the 2.62 million Alfira murders should happen intentionally then… Well, what rotters you are.
Among other statistics are those for the most chosen weapons in the game’s final battle, which are led by the ridiculously powerful Gontr Mael bow. This hits hard, hastes you, and has a chance to cast a very useful spell. It’s a great choice, and an enormous 33.4 million people made this choice. That’s nearly 10 million more than the Baldurian’s Giantslayer greatsword. And it’s many, many more than “decided to bring a charcuterie board to a fight with a giant brain”, Larian said. Whoever you are: respect.
More niche statistics show “a handful” of players with upwards of 560 manual saves per playthrough, which sounds like a lot (was it me?), and that fewer than one percent of players amassed 180,000 gold in a playthrough, or managed to spend more than 120,000 gold. “That’s roughly 24 naked statues bought from Stoney and Boney at the Circus,” Larian noted.
Even more niche: 114 people played the game in a square 1:1 screen ratio, perhaps pretending it was a CRPG from yesteryear, and more than 9000 – it’s over 9000! – played in a tipped-aside 9:16 screen ratio. And you people: I see you. You’re playing on a second monitor while supposed to be working, aren’t you?
Mmm, delicious statistics.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was a gaming phenomenon when it launched three years ago, exploding as the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and video gaming combined. Larian continued to support Baldur’s Gate 3 for years after the game was released, notably adding modding support and expanding the endings in the game, particularly where the Dark Urge was concerned. Larian, now propelled to gaming superstar status, has moved onto making its new role-playing game Divinity.
Whether or not D&D owner Wizards of the Coast will follow Baldur’s Gate 3 with a sequel remains to be seen. The latest suggestion seems to be that Pathfinder and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader studio Owlcat might be in the running for it, though it’s busy making Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and the Mass Effect-like Expanse: Osiris Reborn at the moment. Wizards of the Coast is internally making a D&D game, but it’s an action adventure game called Warlock, which was revealed at the end of last year.
Incidentally, if you haven’t played a Dark Urge playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3, I wholeheartedly recommend it. I documented my BG3 Dark Urge playthrough for Eurogamer Supporters, but if you head over to Larian’s Twitch page, you’ll see a very familiar face documenting her Dark Urge run there.
