Wizards of the Coast has recently issued a DMCA takedown notice against a fan-created mod for Stardew Valley, named "Baldur's Village," which integrates characters from Baldur's Gate 3 into the game. This action came despite earlier public praise from Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke, who had lauded the mod on Twitter, describing it as "amazing work" filled with love.

The mod, which was released earlier this month, was swiftly removed following the DMCA notice from Wizards of the Coast, the IP holder for Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate. A spokesperson from Nexus Mods expressed hope that this might be an oversight by Wizards of the Coast, suggesting they often rely on external agencies to identify infringing content. They added, "Fingers crossed for Baldur's Village."

In response to the takedown, Sven Vincke took to Twitter again to voice his support for the mod while acknowledging the complexities of IP protection. He stated, "Free quality fan mods highlighting your characters in other game genres are proof your work resonates and a unique form of word of mouth. Imho they shouldn't be treated like commercial ventures that infringe on your property. Protecting your IP can be tricky but I do hope this gets settled. There are good ways of dealing with this."

This incident may be part of a broader strategy by Wizards of the Coast to protect the Baldur's Gate IP, especially with upcoming announcements expected soon about their plans for the franchise. It remains unclear whether the takedown of the Stardew Valley mod conflicts with these plans or if it was a mistake that will be corrected. We have reached out to Wizards of the Coast for further comment on this matter.