Baldur’s Gate 3 Writer Reveals Game Almost Returned To Classic Franchise Location

Highlights

• Larian considered bringing back Candlekeep from the original game in Baldur’s Gate 3.
• The idea of revisiting Candlekeep was eventually scrapped due to logistical and narrative concerns.
• The decision to not include Candlekeep in Baldur’s Gate 3 was ultimately for the best, ensuring a cohesive narrative.

The lead writer of Baldur’s Gate 3, Adam Smith, has revealed that Larian heavily considered taking players back to a classic location from the first entry in the series. While Baldur’s Gate 3 has plenty of locations to explore throughout the world, bringing back this location would have been a cool blast to the past for long-term fans of the franchise.

Larian’s latest RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, remains one of the biggest hits from 2023. Its attention to detail was lauded by players and critics alike, and the game won countless Game of the Year awards throughout the industry. Since its release, individuals at Larian have been quite open about features that never quite made it into the finished game, which is refreshing to see. Just recently, Swen Wincke revealed that a journey through the afterlife was cut from Baldur’s Gate 3, which would have been interesting to see come to fruition. While it’s sad to know what players almost got, there has to be some understanding that content is cut from just about every game, and it’s rare that a developer is as open about this as Larian is.

In an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Baldur’s Gate 3‘s lead writer, Adam Smith, confirmed that Larian heavily considered bringing back Candlekeep, the area where players experience the prologue in the original game. The plans were made because “there’s something interesting about that kind of library dungeon,” calling the idea of having somewhere so massive in the Baldur’s Gate lore present in the game “very, very attractive.” With Baldur’s Gate 3 taking place much later than the original game, it certainly would have been an interesting prospect to revisit where it all began.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Almost Returned to Candlekeep

The idea of revisiting Candlekeep in Baldur’s Gate 3 was eventually abandoned, and Smith gave a few reasons why. “The biggest problem was that geographically, it’s on the way to Baldur’s Gate. So it’s like, are we going to stop on the way there? Are we going to go in and then come back out again, how are we going to position it like that?” He also offered an interesting take about whether Candlekeep was actually relevant to the storyline, claiming, “There’s a point where it becomes like, well, is this content for the sake of content? I hate the word ‘content’, but you know – is it actually adding to the story and the journey I’m on, where I am in my adventure?” Clearly, the answer for Larian here was no.

…is this content for the sake of content? I hate the word ‘content’, but you know – is it actually adding to the story and the journey I’m on, where I am in my adventure?

Smith raised a ton of interesting points in the interview regarding why Candlekeep never made it into Baldur’s Gate 3, and ultimately, it seems like it was for the best. While revisiting old franchise locations makes for a strong hit of nostalgia, it’s also important that it makes sense in the narrative. Baldur’s Gate 3 had one of the best video game stories of 2023, precisely because everything makes sense and nothing feels forced. Larian seemed to get everything right with its latest release, and long may it continue with its upcoming projects.