Baldur's Gate 3 Update Changes Minthara Romance, Fans Furious
08.03.2024 - 14:05
/ thegamer.com
Spoilers for The Dark Urge origin in Baldur's Gate 3.
Baldur's Gate 3 got another hotfix yesterday, mainly focussed on bug fixes. However, it also made a significant change to Minthara if you're romancing her as The Dark Urge.
Since the update went live, players have noticed that Minthara now breaks up with a romanced Dark Urge character if they reject Bhaal. Fans of the drow Paladin aren't happy at all, saying that the change is out of character and should be reversed.
It's important to note that while Minthara certainly seems to be breaking up with the player in this new dialogue, it might not actually end the romance. Some have reported that they're still able to ask her for a kiss after this scene plays out as if they were still together.
Whatever the case, Minthara fans aren't happy with the change. Some say that it's ruined their plans for their current playthroughs, forcing them to either romance someone else or play as a Dark Urge that seeks Bhaal's favour.
So, the real question is, is this out of character for Minthara? Many of her fans seem to think so, and it's easy to see why. A huge part of her character is the fact that she's abandoned her first god, Lolth, and is now fighting against the cult of the Absolute that indoctrinated her. The first quote that appears on her Baldur's Gate Wiki page also seems to contradict this change to her character.
Bhaal, Lolth... the Absolute. They do not have followers - they only have victims, and they reward devotion with death
However, it can be argued that it is in character for her to want her partner to embrace The Dark Urge. For starters, her issue with the gods is that they offer their followers very little in return for their devotion. But in this case, Bhaal does grant you power through the Slayer form. It could also be argued that Minthara doesn't see The Dark Urge as a follower of Bhaal, but rather a figurehead within his cult. From Minthara's perspective, it might make little sense to turn away a birthright position that guarantees you a cult full of followers who would gladly follow you to the death. Just because we as players know that being Bhaal's chosen makes you another pawn, that doesn't mean the characters in the game view it that way.
Larian is yet to respond to the pushback. The whole thing may be a bug, with the hotfix potentially implementing cut content. There are other dialogue trees in the game files that go completely unused, so it's possible that this was never meant to see the light of day. Or, Larian really has made quite a significant change to Minthara's romance so long after launch and always intended for her to dump a Dark Urge that isn't interested in their inheritance. In any case, we'll have to see if this change is