Larian Studios Celebrates Baldur's Gate 3 Anniversary with Revealing Player Statistics
To mark Baldur's Gate 3's first anniversary, Larian Studios unveiled a fascinating collection of player statistics, offering a unique glimpse into player choices and behaviors. The data, shared on X (formerly Twitter), reveals everything from romantic entanglements to surprising in-game antics.
Romance and Relationships in the Forgotten Realms
Romance played a central role for many players. A staggering 75 million companion kisses were recorded, with Shadowheart leading the pack at 27 million. Astarion trailed closely behind with 15 million, while Minthara received 169,937. Act 1's celebratory night saw 32.5% of players choosing Shadowheart, 13.5% opting for Karlach, and 15.6% choosing solitude. By Act 3, Shadowheart's popularity soared, with 48.8% experiencing her final romance scene. Karlach's romantic dinner was enjoyed by 17.6%, and Lae'zel's hand-holding scene by 12.9%.
More adventurous players explored relationships with Halsin (658,000 players, 70% in human form, 30% bear form) and even the Emperor (1.1 million players, 63% preferring the Dream Guardian form, 37% embracing the mind flayer experience).
Whimsical Adventures and Unexpected Encounters
Beyond romance, players engaged in a variety of quirky activities. 1.9 million players transformed themselves into cheese wheels, showcasing the game's playful elements. Friendly dinosaurs welcomed 3.5 million visitors, and 2 million players freed Us from the Colony, demonstrating a love for side quests. Even the Dark Urge showed a softer side, with at least 3,777 players finding a way to spare Alfira, inadvertently promoting lute rock.
Animal companions were also popular. Scratch the dog received over 120 million pets, while the Owlbear Cub enjoyed over 41 million. A curious statistic reveals that 141,600 players attempted to pet His Majesty, the cat—the same number who conquered Honour Mode.
Character Creation and Class/Race Preferences
Despite the appeal of pre-made characters, a remarkable 93% of players opted to create custom avatars, highlighting the importance of character personalization. Among pre-made characters, Astarion (1.21 million players), Gale (1.20 million), and Shadowheart (0.86 million) were the most popular choices. Intriguingly, 15% of custom characters were based on the Dark Urge.
Paladin proved the most popular class (nearly 10 million players), followed closely by Sorcerer and Fighter (both over 7.5 million). Other classes, including Barbarian, Rogue, Warlock, Monk, and Druid, had significant but smaller numbers. Rangers and Clerics rounded out the list.
Elves were the most popular race (over 12.5 million), followed by Half-Elves and Humans (both 12.5 million). Tieflings, Drow, and Dragonborn also had significant representation. Less common choices included Half-Orcs, Githyanki, and Dwarves. Gnomes and Halflings had the lowest numbers. Specific class-race combinations also emerged, such as Dwarves favoring Paladins and Dragonborn preferring Sorcerers.
Epic Achievements and Difficult Choices
141,660 players conquered Honour Mode, a testament to their skills. Conversely, 1,223,305 playthroughs ended in defeat, with 76% of those players deleting their saves and 24% continuing in custom mode.
Players faced difficult choices, with 1.8 million betraying the Emperor, 329,000 convincing Orpheus to remain a mind flayer, and 3.3 million killing the Netherbrain (200,000 with Gale's sacrifice). A rare outcome saw 34 players experience Avatar Lae'zel's self-sacrifice after rejection.
Larian Studios' anniversary statistics provide a compelling overview of the diverse and engaging experiences within Baldur's Gate 3. From grand achievements to humorous side quests, the game's community has created a rich and memorable tapestry of adventures.
