At a recent conference in England, former Larian Studios writer Baudelaire Welch shed light on the cultural impact of the bear romance scene in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3), which has been celebrated as the game of the year in 2023. This scene has marked a significant milestone in the gaming industry.
Baldur's Gate 3 Bear Romance Scene: A Monumental Gaming Moment
BG3 Players Wanted Daddy Halsin and They Got It
Baudelaire Welch, once a key figure at Larian Studios and lead for BG3's companion narratives, described the sex scene featuring Halsin in his bear form as a "watershed moment in game history." Welch commended Larian Studios for acknowledging and embracing the desires of the game's fanfiction community, a pioneering move among game developers.
In BG3, players can engage in a romantic storyline with Halsin, a druid with the ability to transform into a bear, primarily for combat. However, this ability took on a romantic dimension, illustrating Halsin's challenge in maintaining his human form during deeply emotional encounters. Welch noted that this aspect of Halsin's character was not initially planned but was inspired by the game's vibrant fanfiction community.
Fanfiction, crafted by fans around various media, played a crucial role in shaping this narrative. The community's clear demand was for "daddy Halsin," as Welch shared in an interview with Eurogamer. "I don't think there were specific plans for him to be a love interest," Welch added.
During the conference, Welch emphasized the vital role fanfiction plays in maintaining a game's community. "Romance is one of the longest-tail parts of a fandom you can create," Welch stated, noting that fans continue to engage with romantic narratives in fanfiction long after the game's main storylines end.
Welch highlighted how fan-created content keeps the community active, particularly appealing to women and LGBTQIA+ players who have significantly contributed to the ongoing enthusiasm for BG3 since its release. "This scene feels like a watershed moment in game history where the fanfiction community feels like they're not a subculture but are the majority audience being catered to in a scene and in the game as a whole," Welch asserted.
Bear Romance Scene Was Supposed to be a Gag
Initially, the concept of Halsin transforming into a bear for romantic purposes was intended as a humorous off-screen gag. However, as studio founder Swen Vincke and senior writer John Corcoran delved deeper into Halsin's character, they chose to transform this idea into a central aspect of his romantic arc.
"The specifically turning into a bear thing was originally meant to be a gag that took place off screen in another scene that I pitched, because I didn't think that it would ever go anywhere," Welch explained. "But then Swen [Vincke] and John [Corcoran], who's writing Halsin - as they were writing more major love scenes - were like, 'Oh, let's bring this idea forward and let's escalate it and make it a main thing for this character.'"
