Wizards of the Coast has recently taken action against a fan-made mod for Stardew Valley titled "Baldur's Village," which integrated characters from Baldur's Gate 3 into the game. The mod, which had been released earlier this month, initially received public praise from Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke, who lauded the effort and love put into the mod.
However, the situation took a turn when Wizards of the Coast, the holder of the Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate intellectual properties, issued a DMCA takedown notice against the mod. This led to its removal from Nexus Mods. A spokesperson from Nexus Mods expressed hope that this might be an oversight on Wizards of the Coast's part, as they often employ external agencies to identify infringing content.
In response to the takedown, Sven Vincke took to Twitter to voice his support for the mod once again, acknowledging the complexities of IP protection. He stated, "Protecting your IP can be tricky but I do hope this gets settled. There are good ways of dealing with this." Vincke emphasized the value of fan mods, describing them as "free quality fan mods highlighting your characters in other game genres" that serve as "proof your work resonates and a unique form of word of mouth." He argued that such mods should not be treated as commercial ventures infringing on intellectual property.
This takedown might be indicative of a broader strategy by Wizards of the Coast to protect their Baldur's Gate IP, especially in light of upcoming announcements about the franchise's future, as hinted at during the recent Game Developers Conference. Whether this action against the Stardew Valley mod is part of that strategy or simply a mistake remains to be seen. Wizards of the Coast has been approached for further comment on the matter.
