Wizards of the Coast DMCA's Fan Mod; Larian CEO Reacts

Wizards of the Coast has recently issued a DMCA takedown notice for a fan-created mod called "Baldur's Village," which integrates characters from Baldur's Gate 3 into the popular game Stardew Valley. This mod, which was released earlier this month, had initially received public praise from Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke, who lauded the mod's creativity and the love poured into its development.

However, the mod's fate took a turn when Wizards of the Coast, the holder of the Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate intellectual properties, decided to enforce their copyright. A spokesperson from Nexus Mods expressed hope that this might be an oversight on Wizards of the Coast's part, as they often employ external agencies to monitor and address IP violations. The spokesperson remains optimistic that the decision might be reversed, stating, "Fingers crossed for Baldur's Village."

In response to the takedown, Sven Vincke took to Twitter once more to voice his support for the mod while acknowledging the complexities of IP protection. He emphasized the value of fan mods, stating, "Free quality fan mods highlighting your characters in other game genres are proof your work resonates and a unique form of word of mouth." Vincke argued that such mods should not be treated as commercial ventures infringing on IP rights and expressed hope for a resolution, noting, "Protecting your IP can be tricky but I do hope this gets settled. There are good ways of dealing with this."

This incident may be part of a broader strategy by Wizards of the Coast to protect the Baldur's Gate IP, especially in light of upcoming announcements about the franchise's future, as hinted at during the recent Game Developers Conference. Whether this takedown was a deliberate move or a mistake remains to be seen, and we have reached out to Wizards of the Coast for further clarification on the matter.