In truth, there are two kinds of video game developers out there. There are those who embrace mods and what the community loves to do with them and those who don’t. Now, sure, there are those who don’t like mods because of cheating purposes, which is fair, or because the current form of the code can’t handle “unauthorized tinkering” that mods sometimes do, which is also fair, but it’s also not the point. Mods are a key part of the gaming community in some respects, and that’s why games like Baldur’s Gate 3 will always be a haven for modders because they know that Larian Studios will let them go nuts and let them do whatever they want.
This can be proven by the fact that Larian Studios itself has posted on Twitter noting that Baldur’s Gate 3 has received over 100 million mod downloads since the option became available. Not only that, as you can see below, but they are also suggesting some places where you can get/find mods that other players might be interested in. See? They love the madness of it all and want gamers to have a blast no matter how they use mods in the game.
Apparently, that includes giving a certain undead character some “ample proportions,” as the image in the tweet notes. Yeah, that’s modding for you.
Anyway, this is exactly what modding is supposed to be about. You have an idea for something fun, epic, or hilarious that you want to put in a game that you love, and you put it in! For RPGs like Larian’s, you’re basically given a massive world to mod, and that’s pretty awesome. With over 100 million mod downloads, you have to wonder what ones have been downloaded the most and how many mods have been made for the game as a whole. Given the title’s popularity, the answers could be endless, making it all the more exciting to dive in and see what might be found.
A slightly sadder irony here is that gamers will need mods to help continue their love of Larian’s title going forward, as the last major update for the RPG is coming soon, and Larian Studios is already focusing on the next gaming title in its lineup. Then again, the one they’ve made in the beloved D&D world is so vast and full of options, even without mods, that you could play it repeatedly. Mods just help add to the replay value.
