Developer Larian has released a trove of statistics to celebrate the third anniversary of Baldur's Gate 3's release, shedding light on player habits and in-game events. Among the most striking revelations is that players not playing as the Dark Urge origin are statistically more likely to murder the tiefling bard Alfira.
This is particularly notable because Alfira's death is a scripted event for Dark Urge characters, intended to demonstrate their inherent violent tendencies. For non-Dark Urge players, however, choosing to kill Alfira requires a deliberate action. Larian noted that a significant proportion of the 26.2 million instances of Alfira's demise were the result of these intentional player choices. The game's most murdered story NPC overall is Zevlor, found in the Druid's Grove.
When it comes to combat, the Gontr Mael bow emerged as the most favored weapon in the game's final encounter, with 33.4 million players choosing it. This powerful bow offers significant advantages, including haste effects and a chance to cast useful spells. It significantly outperformed the Baldurian's Giantslayer greatsword, which was the second most popular choice, and far surpassed more unconventional approaches, such as the use of a charcuterie board in combat.
Niche Player Habits
Beyond combat and character interactions, Larian also highlighted several more niche player statistics. A small number of players engaged in extreme save-scumming, with some accumulating over 560 manual saves per playthrough. Wealth accumulation was also rare, as fewer than one percent of players managed to amass 180,000 gold or spend more than 120,000 gold in a single playthrough. Larian quipped that 120,000 gold is roughly the cost of 24 naked statues from vendors Stoney and Boney.
Unusual display settings were also observed. 114 players opted for a 1:1 square screen ratio, possibly to evoke a retro CRPG feel. More surprisingly, over 9,000 players utilized a 9:16 vertical screen ratio, a setup often associated with playing games on a second monitor while ostensibly working.
Baldur's Gate 3 achieved significant success following its release three years ago, blending the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and video games. Larian has continued to support the game with post-launch updates, including modding support and expanded endings, particularly for the Dark Urge storyline. The studio has since transitioned to developing a new role-playing game, tentatively titled Divinity.
The future of a Baldur's Gate 3 sequel remains uncertain, with Larian now focused on new projects. While Wizards of the Coast, the owner of D&D, has internally developed an action-adventure game called Warlock, speculation has also arisen regarding other studios potentially taking on a sequel, though no official announcements have been made.