Baldur's Gate 3

About

Baldur's Gate 3 is 2023 a role-playing game in the Baldur's Gate franchise developed by Larian Studios. The game, set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, drew significant attention before its release for the wide variety of customization options it offered players, including giving players to customize the genitals of their characters and the ability to have a sexual encounter with a bear.

History

Baldur's Gate 3 was announced at E3 2019 and was announced to be in development for Windows and Stadia. The first act of the game was released in early access on October 6th, 2020.^[1]

The game remained in early access until its PC release on August 3rd, 2023. It releases on PlayStation 5 on September 6th, 2023.

Online Presence

Baldur's Gate 3 has maintained a dedicated fanbase since being released in early access. The game's subreddit^[6] has gained over 138,000 subscribers since its launch on May 30th, 2019. The early access version of the game on Steam has a "Very Positive" rating from over 57,000 reviews.

Panel From Hell Livestream

On July 7th, 2023, Larian hosted a livestream titled "Panel From Hell" in which they discussed the game and revealed new footage (shown below).^[2]

During the livestream, Larian showed off a cutscene that confirmed the Druid Halsin, who can shapeshift into a bear, is a romanceable character and players will be able to have a sexual encounter with him in bear form. The previewed scene was tweeted by user @vaughandavies97, gaining over 4,100 retweets and 27,000 likes in three days (shown below).

Additionally, Kotaku^[3] spotted that during the character customization segment of the stream, there was a slider focused on the player-character's genitals. It is unclear how players will be able to customize their genitalia in the game itself.

The Panel From Hell livestream inspired much discussion on social media. Jokes about the bear scene include a For the Better, Right? from @Osephala^[4] that gained over 1,400 retweets and 7,400 likes in three days (shown below, left) and a tweet by @himbo_snatcher^[5] comparing the scene to The Revenant gained over 120 likes in three days (shown below, right).

Related Memes

Bear Sex Scene

Baldur's Gate 3 Bear Sex Scene refers to an optional scene from the video game Baldur's Gate 3 where the player's character has sex with a druid while transformed into a bear. The scene was first revealed during the Panel From Hell: Release Showcase livestream and became the subject of reactions and memes over the following weeks, seeing an increase in interest following the game's release in early August. That month, Larian founder Swen Vincke claimed in an interview that people were sending his son images of bears in reference to the sex scene.

Search Interest

External References