Wizards of the Coast DMCA Hits Fan-Made Baldur's Gate 3 Mod, Larian CEO Reacts

In a surprising turn of events, Wizards of the Coast has issued a DMCA takedown notice against a popular fan mod for *Stardew Valley* titled “Baldur’s Village,” which integrates characters from *Baldur’s Gate 3*. The mod had initially been praised by Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke, who publicly expressed admiration for the effort and creativity behind it. However, just weeks after its release, the mod has now been removed from Nexus Mods following the legal action.

According to reports from PC Gamer, the “Baldur’s Village” mod was released earlier this month and quickly gained attention for its detailed implementation of *Baldur’s Gate 3* characters into the beloved farming simulator. Shortly after its launch, Vincke took to Twitter to commend the modding community, stating, “So much love went into this – amazing work!” That public support seemed to signal a positive reception from Larian Studios, the developer behind *Baldur’s Gate 3*.

DMCA Takedown and Community Reaction

Despite the initial praise, the mod is no longer available due to a DMCA notice issued by Wizards of the Coast, the owner of both the *Dungeons & Dragons* and *Baldur’s Gate* intellectual property. A spokesperson for Nexus Mods confirmed that Wizards had requested the removal, likely as part of their broader IP enforcement efforts. They added, “Hopefully, this is an oversight from WotC, who often use external agencies to hunt down violating content, and they will revert their decision. Fingers crossed for Baldur's Village.”

In response to the removal, Vincke returned to social media to voice his support once again, while also acknowledging the complex nature of intellectual property rights:

Protecting your IP can be tricky but I do hope this gets settled. There are good ways of dealing with this.

— Swen Vincke (@LarAtLarian) March 31, 2025

He further emphasized the value of non-commercial fan creations, 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.”

Could This Be Part of a Larger Strategy?

This incident may hint at a broader strategy from Wizards of the Coast regarding the *Baldur’s Gate* brand. With recent announcements indicating that more news about the franchise’s future is expected “in pretty short order,” there’s speculation that the mod may have inadvertently conflicted with upcoming plans. Whether this was an intentional move or a mistaken overreach remains unclear.

We’ve reached out to Wizards of the Coast for further clarification and will update this post if we receive a response.