Baldur's Gate 3 Player's Guide: Romance, Transformations

Larian Studios Celebrates Baldur's Gate 3 Anniversary with Revealing Player Statistics

To mark Baldur's Gate 3's first anniversary, Larian Studios unveiled a fascinating collection of player statistics, offering a glimpse into player choices and behaviors. These stats, shared on X (formerly Twitter), reveal everything from romantic entanglements to bizarre in-game antics.

Romantic Pursuits in the Forgotten Realms

Romance played a central role for many players. A staggering 75 million companion kisses were recorded, with Shadowheart leading the pack at 27 million, followed by Astarion (15 million) and Minthara (169,937). Act 1's celebratory night saw 32.5% of players with Shadowheart, 13.5% with Karlach, and 15.6% choosing solitude. By Act 3, Shadowheart's popularity soared, with 48.8% experiencing her final romance scene, compared to 17.6% with Karlach and 12.9% with Lae'zel.

The more adventurous among players engaged in intimate encounters with Halsin (658,000 players, 70% in human form, 30% bear form) and the Emperor (1.1 million players, 63% preferring the Dream Guardian form, 37% opting for mind flayer tentacles).

Whimsical Adventures and Quirky Choices

Beyond romance, players embraced the game's lighter side. 1.9 million players transformed into cheese wheels, 3.5 million visited friendly dinosaurs, and 2 million freed Us from the Colony. Remarkably, 3,777 Dark Urge players spared Alfira, inadvertently fostering a lute-rock boom.

Animal companions also garnered significant attention. Scratch the dog received over 120 million pets, while the Owlbear Cub received over 41 million. A curious 141,600 players attempted to pet His Majesty, the cat—the same number who conquered Honour Mode.

Character Creation and Class/Race Preferences

An impressive 93% of players opted to create custom characters, highlighting the game's robust character customization. Among pre-made characters, Astarion (1.21 million players), Gale (1.20 million), and Shadowheart (0.86 million) were the most popular. Interestingly, 15% of custom characters were based on the Dark Urge.

Paladin reigned supreme as the most popular class (nearly 10 million players), followed closely by Sorcerer and Fighter (both over 7.5 million). Other classes, including Barbarian, Rogue, Warlock, Monk, and Druid, also had considerable representation. Elves were the most chosen race (over 12.5 million), followed by Half-Elves and Humans (both 12.5 million). Tieflings, Drow, and Dragonborn also exceeded 7.5 million selections.

Specific class-race combinations also emerged. Dwarves favored Paladin (20%), Dragonborn chose Sorcerer, Halflings opted for Bard and Rogue, Gnomes preferred Bards and Druids, and Tieflings balanced between Paladin, Barbarian, and Warlock.

Epic Achievements and Diverse Endings

141,660 players conquered Honour Mode, while 1,223,305 playthroughs ended in defeat (76% deleted saves, 24% continued in custom mode). 1.8 million players betrayed the Emperor, 329,000 convinced Orpheus to remain a mind flayer, and 3.3 million killed the Netherbrain (200,000 with Gale's sacrifice). A rare 34 players witnessed Avatar Lae'zel's self-sacrifice after rejection by Vlaakith.

These statistics paint a vibrant portrait of the Baldur's Gate 3 community, showcasing the game's diverse appeal and the myriad ways players have experienced the Forgotten Realms.