Baldur’s Gate 3 is set to be one of the most expansive RPG games of the year, and Larian has been gearing up for the launch with a massive spread of new information. With the Baldur’s Gate 3 release date mere days away we’ve now learned, after Larian accidentally shared the wrong information, that the NPC Origin characters won’t in fact get to romance each other in Baldur’s Gate 3, despite what you may have initially read.
With so many Baldur’s Gate 3 classes, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that there’s a whole BG3 romance system too. According to Larian these romances “can flourish into relationships that add gravity to every decision you make in the game, and you’re free to pursue them through deliberation, choice, and consequences. However, you can also back out of them at any moment, change your mind, or fall in love with someone else.”
Polyamorous relationships are even on the cards too, but what you won’t be seeing is your Origin NPC characters – the prebuilt characters you can either play as or see join you on your quest – getting it on with one another.
According to Larian, these are your options:
- A played Origin can romance an NPC Origin
- An NPC Origin cannot romance an NPC Origin
- Played Origins cannot romance other player Origins
So we won’t be seeing a Garrus and Tali-style blossoming relationship in Baldur’s Gate 3, which is a bit of a shame. Prior to this outline though, in the same community update that outlined the mind flayer in BG3, the post said something else.
“Origin characters can romance other Origins so long as they’re not the primary character controlled by the player.”
With this being changed, I’d chalk it up to a simple mistake or error on Larian’s part. No harm done. But it is still an important distinction if you read the original page and are confused: NPC Origin characters cannot romance each other, according to Larain’s updated post.
Now, in Baldur’s Gate 3 early access the characters do flirt while you’re out adventuring, or even talk about how bad one of the companions is in bed (ouch), but they don’t actually have any sort of in-game romance. So, don’t worry, they’re still having sex, they’re just not telling you about it.
Honestly I kind of like the early access approach and can’t wait to see it unfold in the full game. While your gang of merry adventurers is all on the same quest as you, they all have their own lives. Who are we to need every detail about what goes on behind (hopefully) closed doors?
If you want to get as prepared as possible for BG3, we’ve got all you need to know about Baldur’s Gate 3 races, alongside the very best Baldur’s Gate 3 builds depending on your playstyle too.
