Summary
An early version of one ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s most well-known characters, Astarion, has been shared by Larian Studios' founder Swen Vincke at the Game Developers Conference. GDC 2024 is currently underway in San Francisco, and game developers across the industry are gathering and discussing their experiences making the games millions of gamers have enjoyed over the past year, includingBaldur’s Gate 3.
Winning Game of the Year at the 2023 Game Awards over several other generational games from some of the industry’s best developers, it’s safe to say thatBaldur’s Gate 3was the biggest surprise of last year. Its CRPG nature and tactical turn-based combat didn’t stopBaldur’s Gate 3from being the most talked about experience in a year filled with games likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Alan Wake 2, Final Fantasy 16,and many more. Arguably the face ofBaldur’s Gate 3, High-Elf Rogue Astarion became one of the most popular characters of any 2023 game, with the actor behind his performance, Neil Newbon, going on to win Best Performance at the Game Awards.
Larian Studios has a major presence at this year’s GDC, as the studio’s founder andBaldur’s Gate 3director Swen Vincke held a panel discussing the massive RPG’s development. IGN pointed out that in said panel, Vincke revealed a glimpse ofwhat Astarion looked like earlier inBaldur’s Gate 3’s production. Fans would be surprised to learn that their favorite pale-skinned, white-hairedHigh-Elf inBaldur’s Gate 3used to be a Tiefling, sporting yellow eyes and dark hair.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion Was Originally A Tiefling
Vincke didn’t reveal when Astarion became the High-Elf everybody knows him as today, but considering how important a character’s race is to theirpersonal stories inBaldur’s Gate 3, the change must have come earlier on in the game’s narrative development.Baldur’s Gate 3was in production for a total of six years, with three of those years spent in early access. With this in mind, Astarion’s appearance was likely changed before early access went live, sometime during the first three years of the game’s development.
With how longBaldur’s Gate 3has been in development, there’s a good chance that some of the game’s other important,fan-favorite characters like Lae’zel, Karlach, and Shadowheart may have also looked drastically different long before the game’s wildly successful 2023 launch. Perhaps with how popularBaldur’s Gate 3is, maybe Swen Vincke will lend fans looks at early versions of other characters sometime in the future.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
