Baldur's Gate 3 Bear Romance Scene: A Monumental Gaming Moment

At a recent conference in England, Baudelaire Welch, a former writer at Larian Studios and the narrative lead for Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3), shed light on the significance of the bear romance scene in the 2023 game of the year. This scene, involving the character Halsin in his bear form, has been hailed as a "watershed moment in game history" by Welch, who commended Larian Studios for their bold move in catering to the game's fanfiction community.

BG3 Players Wanted Daddy Halsin and They Got It

In BG3, players can engage in a romantic relationship with Halsin, a druid who can transform into a bear. Originally intended for combat, this ability took on a romantic dimension, illustrating Halsin's struggle to retain his human form during emotionally intense scenes. Welch revealed that this twist in Halsin's storyline was not part of the initial plan but was inspired by the game's fanfiction community.

Fanfiction, which consists of fan-created stories based on various forms of media, played a crucial role in shaping Halsin's character. The community's desire for "daddy Halsin" was unmistakable, Welch noted in an interview with Eurogamer. "I don't think there were specific plans for him to be a love interest," Welch added, highlighting the influence of fan-created content on the game's development.

During the conference, Welch emphasized the importance of fanfiction in keeping a game's community alive. "Romance is one of the longest-tail parts of a fandom you can create," Welch said. "People will write about a good romance in fanfiction for years to come." This ongoing engagement helps sustain the game's community long after the main storylines have ended, particularly attracting women and LGBTQIA+ players who have been key to BG3's sustained popularity since its launch.

"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 stated, underscoring the scene's impact on the gaming industry.

Bear Romance Scene Was Supposed to be a Gag

The concept of Halsin's bear transformation in romantic settings initially started as a humorous off-screen gag. However, as studio founder Swen Vincke and senior writer John Corcoran further developed Halsin's character, they decided to transform this idea into a pivotal element of his romance storyline.

"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 disclosed. "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.'"