Summary
- Baldur's Gate 3 players on Xbox Series X/S risk getting banned for recording explicit content, due to automatic uploads to Microsoft servers.
- Larian Studios is aware of the issue and is in communication with Microsoft to address the bans and ensure a resolution.
- Microsoft's policy on sexually explicit content is unlikely to change, so Xbox players may need to turn off automatic uploads and find alternative methods to share their gameplay.
- Larian is also investigating the issue of save file wipes on Xbox.
Larian Studios has responded to reports of Baldur's Gate 3 players getting banned after capturing gameplay on Xbox Series X/S. Unfortunately, it is far from a solitary issue hindering the Baldur's Gate 3 experience on Xbox, with some save files being inexplicably wiped from existence since launch.
An Xbox user recently received an unexpected whole-year ban after recording three clips of Baldur's Gate 3 that featured sexually explicit content. By default, captured video/screenshots on Xbox are uploaded to Microsoft servers, meaning that any unaware of either the terms of service or the automatic uploads are in for an unpleasant surprise. As players progress further into their campaigns, and bonds between companions deepen, the likelihood of mature content only rises. Thus, increasingly more Xbox users have unwittingly found themselves prevented from loading up any game that requires an internet connection.
Michael Douse, Larian's director of publishing, noted on Twitter that the studio had seen reports of Xbox players being banned due to TOS infringement because of their "gameplay content." He subsequently confirmed that Larian is communicating with Microsoft regarding the issue, and concluded with a rather apt summary of the situation as "annoying and uncool." Although no timeline for a resolution was provided, Douse pointed out later that mature content in Baldur's Gate 3 can be toggled in the options menu.
Given how prevalent mature content is in the game, it may save Microsoft from a torrent of ban appeals to relax the rules for Baldur's Gate 3. Judging by the statistics released by Larian, many folks just want to have some fun with Shadowheart, mindflayers, and devils. In fact, the community has been so enamored by various companions and how forward they can be, that a Sex% playthrough became a highly contested speedrun category.
But until any further developments say otherwise, it is best to assume that Microsoft's policy regarding sexually explicit content will not see Baldur's Gate 3 become an exception. Fortunately, those on Xbox can turn off the automatic uploads for videos and screenshots but will have to use a USB to transfer them elsewhere. Additionally, Larian has confirmed that it is continuing to investigate the save issues on Xbox, which have persisted despite multiple attempts to see them quelled. Until the problem is resolved once and for all, Baldur's Gate 3 players may want to look into a potential workaround.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.
THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCE
Choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.
A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPIC
Forged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian's next-generation RPG engine.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
