Glorious fantasy RPG Baldur's Gate 3 is full of a wonderful selection of diverse and interesting characters, all of which contribute to making it one of the best RPGs of the decade so far. However, one mod aimed to remove certain characters' LGBTQ+ identities from the game before it was banned by the people as Nexus Mods.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with a mod that changes the gender of characters in a game, this “No Alphabets” mod is designed to “ensure that the gender and sexuality of world NPCs match the medieval status quo ” (via Gayming).
The central feature of the mod was the removal of the fan-favorite lesbian romance between the angelic demigod Dame Aylin and Isobel, an altruistic cleric of Selûne. The mod also erases the identity of Nocturne, a transgender character from the game's third act, by giving her a male character model.
In a post on the Nexus Mods forums, the siterunners announced their decision to ban the mod. “We are for inclusivity, we are for diversity,” the post says. “If we believe someone is uploading a mod to our site with the intention of deliberately being against inclusivity and/or diversity, we will take action against it. The same goes for people who deliberately try to troll other users with mods in order to increase to cause.”
The message continues: “We are not the authority on what users can and cannot modify. If we remove a mod, it only means that it cannot be found on Nexus Mods, nothing more, nothing less. As a private company, we have right to choose what content we will and will not host on our platform. Please respect this right in the same way you would want your rights respected.”
The mod also caused a stir on Reddit. A post by Redditor Meaning #2411 drew attention to the mod's “hate” and received over 18,000 votes on the site.
Baldur's Gate 3 has queer identities firmly entrenched in its themes and characters. In an interview with Jennifer English, the voice of the companion character Shadowheart, the actor made it clear that her character was intended as a strange “allegory.” It's gratifying to see Nexus Mods making the effort to stop hateful attempts to suppress the game's diversity.
Looking for more evocative titles like Baldur's Gate 3? Check out our lists of the best single player games And best story games.