Wizards of the Coast Issues DMCA on Fan's Baldur's Gate 3 Stardew Valley Mod, Larian CEO Responds

Wizards of the Coast has recently taken action against a fan-created mod for Stardew Valley titled "Baldur's Village," which integrated characters from Baldur's Gate 3 into the popular farming simulation game. This mod, which was released earlier this month, had initially received public praise from Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke, who lauded the dedication and quality of the mod on Twitter.

However, the celebration was short-lived as Wizards of the Coast, the holder of the Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate intellectual properties, issued a DMCA takedown notice, resulting in the mod's removal from Nexus Mods. A spokesperson from Nexus Mods expressed hope that this might be an oversight by Wizards of the Coast, who often employ external agencies to monitor IP infringements, and suggested that the decision might be reversed.

In response to the takedown, Sven Vincke took to Twitter once again to voice his support for the mod. He acknowledged the complexities of IP protection but emphasized the value of fan-created content, 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. Imho they shouldn't be treated like commercial ventures that infringe on your property. Protecting your IP can be tricky but I do hope this gets settled. There are good ways of dealing with this."

This incident might 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 Game Developers Conference. It remains to be seen whether this takedown was a deliberate move or a mistake that will be corrected. Wizards of the Coast has been contacted for further comment on the situation.