Summary
- Swen Vincke supports the Baldur's Gate 3 mod for Stardew Valley and praises modding communities.
- Stardew Valley's popularity and developer's support for mods contrast with legal conflict of Baldur's Village.
- Fans and game industry figures advocate for mods as essential to longevity and community involvement in gaming.
In response to the unexpected controversy surrounding the hit Baldur's Gate 3 mod for Stardew Valley, Baldur's Village, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has voiced support for the mod, as well as for the broader modding communities across the video game industry. Similar to other life-sim games, Stardew Valley has received a number of fanmade mods over the years, and the recent release of a Baldur's Gate 3 mod was met with both massive popularity and legal conflict.
Since it first launched in 2016, Stardew Valley has cemented itself as a pillar of the life-sim genre and has been lauded by many as one of the best indie games of all time. The game's developer, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, has released various updates and expansions for the game, including support for modding. While mods have proven incredibly popular for Stardew Valley, the Baldur's Gate 3 mod has had an unexpected impact that extended far beyond the usual fan base.
'A Good Ending' Baldur's Gate 3 Stardew Valley Mod is Back
A Baldur's Gate 3 mod for Stardew Valley is available again, and players can download the content based on Larian's popular RPG.
Speaking to GameSpot, Swen Vincke commented on the Stardew Valley Baldur's Gate 3 mod controversy. On March 31, 2025, Baldur's Gate IP holder Wizards of the Coast sent a DMCA takedown to the creators of the Baldur's Village mod. That takedown has since been rescinded and the mod restored, but the brief legal issue sparked debate across gaming fandoms about the legality and importance of modding. Jumping into the discussion, Vincke shared his own thoughts on the Baldur's Village mod and modding as a whole, stating that mods can help to extend the longevity of a title and that fans making something "in honor" of a game should be applauded. He noted that it is often best for a company to recognize those efforts and issue a license to the modders to avoid legal conflict and show support for community involvement in the game.
Modding Continues to Expand Across Gaming Communities
Vincke's comments on the Stardew Valley Baldur's Village mod reflect a broader sentiment shared by fans across various gaming communities, with many advocating for modding as a key facet of the modern video game ecosystem. Dozens of major titles, including Minecraft, Skryim, and Fallout, have seen their fandoms grow with the help of mods, and even more recent releases like Hogwarts Legacy and Cyberpunk 2077 have seen the benefits of dedicated modding communities. While monetizing these mods often oversteps legal boundaries, something Vincke warns modders to be mindful of, the supply of free mods made by creators simply wanting to support their favorite titles continues to receive praise.
Modding has been an incredibly popular subsection of the PC gaming sphere for years, and with more modern consoles providing mod support, it should come as no surprise that fun crossover creations like the Baldur's Village mod are finding success among fans. As mods for Stardew Valley and other games continue to catch the eye of industry personnel like Swen Vincke, many are hopeful that the relationship between companies and modders can remain mutually beneficial.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
