By playing Baldur's Gate 3, you've signed away your rights to join the dark side

Baldur's Gate 3
(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Larian Studios is becoming well-known for its attention to detail and enthusiasm for a laugh with Baldur's Gate 3. In yet another act of committing to the bit, Larian has sneakily included an in-game "condition" players are agreeing to when accepting the EULA.

Most people will probably have scrolled past it instead of reading the lengthy document, but one member of the Baldur's Gate 3 subreddit has managed to spot it. "Time for a pause," the clause begins, "as We understand by now your mind is longing for respite, having endured the above numerous provisions of legal jargon."

"So, setting aside the weighty tomes of sombre legality, embracing a lighter path of ancient customs and mystical decrees that governed the fair folk, please be wary that in accepting this Pact, you agree to refrain from striking a deal with another creature of Fey, Infernal, or otherwise Eldritch origin. Should you nonetheless not be able to withstand the seductive melody whispered by their malevolent terms, We reserve the right to sever all ties professional or social with the end user, and seek appropriate remedy from the Morninglord."

In simple terms, the condition bans players from striking a deal with any creature of slightly darker and occult origins, which obviously isn't entirely possible (or fun) in a massive fantasy RPG. The community is enjoying the new clause, which wasn't present in the EULA during the game's early access period, for its inclusion and typical Larian tone of writing. 

I read the EULA - nice try, Larian! from r/BaldursGate3

The clause isn't serious, obviously, but for anyone who trudges that far into reading the EULA it's a small and fun reward. This isn't the first time Larian has hidden things away in the terms and conditions of Baldur's Gate 3. During early access, a quest to submit "one (1) recording of a chant, song, text, poem, or interpretive dance performed by you and extolling your interest in the Forgotten Realms" was popped into the EULA. The quest has since been dubbed Guild of Great Genius by some in the community.

Baldur's Gate 3 is proving even more popular since it hit its 1.0 release yesterday. Steam's servers didn't crash but were definitely a little wobbly as many players scrambled to download the game thanks to no pre-loads. 

Larian has even offered a sick note available in 13 languages for anyone who wants to get time off work to play the game. Success rate upon handing this to your boss might vary.

Our review is currently still in progress, but Baldur's Gate 3 could be the best D&D game ever made.

Freelance contributor

I'm a freelance writer and started my career in summer 2022. After studying Physics and Music at university and a short stint in software development, I made the jump to games journalism on Eurogamer's work experience programme. Since then, I've also written for Rock Paper Shotgun and Esports Illustrated. I'll give any game a go so long as it's not online, and you'll find me playing a range of things, from Elden Ring to Butterfly Soup. I have a soft spot for indies aiming to diversify representation in the industry.

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