Wizards of the Coast DMCA Targets Fan's Baldur's Gate 3 Mod, Larian CEO Reacts

Wizards of the Coast has issued a DMCA takedown notice against a fan-created mod for Stardew Valley titled "Baldur's Village," which introduced characters from Baldur's Gate 3 into the game. Despite earlier praise from Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke, who lauded the mod's creativity and effort, it was removed following the takedown notice.

The mod, which became available earlier this month, caught the attention of Vincke, who expressed his admiration on Twitter, stating, "So much love went into this - amazing work!" However, the mod's fate took a turn when Wizards of the Coast, the rights holder for Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate, intervened with a DMCA takedown.

A spokesperson from Nexus Mods, where the mod was hosted, expressed hope that the takedown was an oversight, suggesting Wizards of the Coast might reconsider their decision. "Hopefully, this is an oversight from WotC, who often use external agencies to hunt down violating content, and they will revert their decision," they told PC Gamer, adding, "Fingers crossed for Baldur's Village."

In response to the situation, Vincke took to Twitter once more, acknowledging the complexities of IP protection while advocating for a more lenient approach toward fan mods. He stated, "Protecting your IP can be tricky but I do hope this gets settled. There are good ways of dealing with this." Vincke further emphasized the value of fan mods, saying, "Free quality fan mods highlighting your characters in other game genres are proof your work resonates and a unique form of word of mouth. Imho they shouldn't be treated like commercial ventures that infringe on your property."

This incident may be part of a broader strategy by Wizards of the Coast to protect the Baldur's Gate IP, especially as new plans for the franchise were hinted at during the recent Game Developers Conference. Whether the takedown of "Baldur's Village" was a mistake or aligns with upcoming IP strategies remains unclear. Wizards of the Coast has been contacted for further comment on the matter.