Baldur’s Village is an expansive, Baldur’s Gate 3–inspired mod for Stardew Valley that has impressed many—including Larian boss Swen Vincke—yet it now finds itself in the crosshairs of DMCA takedown notices from D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast.
If you visit the Nexus Mods page for Baldur’s Village, you’ll notice it has been marked as “under moderation review” since March 29. A representative from Nexus Mods confirmed to PC Gamer that this status is due to a DMCA notice issued by Wizards of the Coast.
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.
Created by modder Xun, Baldur’s Village introduces a vast map area north of Pelican Town, complete with new locations that echo the aesthetics of Baldur’s Gate 3. The mod features characters like Shadowheart and Astarion—with Astarion even offering a fully romanceable questline. The mod first launched in early March, with further updates and enhancements planned before the DMCA notice.
Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, has not always been a fan favorite in recent years. The controversy surrounding the D&D OGL, for instance, led former 5E lead designer Mike Mearls to claim that the classic tabletop game might become permanently “uncool.” It’s disappointing to see a company known for championing creative storytelling clamp down on fan projects in this manner.
A Stardew Valley player, who has brought a touch of Baldur’s Gate 3 to ConcernedApe’s farming sim and earned Larian’s personal endorsement, revealed they have invested over 1,500 hours into the mod and plan to continue refining it.