BG3 Stats Show Players Got Frisky with the Emperor, Turned into Cheese and More

Larian Studios celebrates Baldur's Gate 3's anniversary with a revealing data dump showcasing player choices and behaviors. The statistics offer a fascinating glimpse into player preferences, from romantic entanglements to unusual in-game antics.

Romantic Pursuits in the Forgotten Realms

The numbers reveal a passionate player base. Over 75 million virtual kisses were exchanged, with Shadowheart the most popular romantic interest (27 million kisses). Astarion followed with 15 million, while Minthara received a significantly smaller, yet still notable, 169,937. Act 1's celebratory night saw 32.5% of players choosing Shadowheart, 13.5% opting for Karlach, and 15.6% choosing solitude. By Act 3, Shadowheart's popularity solidified (48.8% of players experienced her final romance scene), while 17.6% romanced Karlach and 12.9% shared a tender moment with Lae'zel.

A more adventurous 658,000 players pursued Halsin, with 70% preferring his human form and 30% his bear form. Remarkably, 1.1 million players engaged in intimate encounters with the Emperor, favoring the Dream Guardian form (63%) over the mind flayer tentacles (37%).

Whimsical Adventures and Unexpected Encounters

Beyond romance, players indulged in some truly unusual activities. 1.9 million players transformed themselves into cheese wheels, a testament to the game's playful nature. Friendly dinosaurs welcomed 3.5 million visitors, while 2 million players freed Us from the Colony. Even the Dark Urge, known for their darker tendencies, saw 3,777 players spare Alfira, contributing to the game's lute rock soundtrack.

Animal companions also played a starring role. Scratch the dog received over 120 million pets, while the Owlbear Cub received over 41 million. A curious 141,600 players attempted to pet the Emperor's cat – the same number who conquered Honour Mode.

Character Creation and Class Preferences

An impressive 93% of players created custom characters, highlighting the desire for personalized heroes. Among pre-made characters, Astarion (1.21 million players) was the most popular, followed by Gale (1.20 million) and Shadowheart (0.86 million). Interestingly, 15% of custom characters were based on the Dark Urge.

Paladin was the most popular class (nearly 10 million players), followed closely by Sorcerer and Fighter (both over 7.5 million). Other classes, such as Barbarian, Rogue, Warlock, Monk, and Druid, had respectable numbers, while Rangers and Clerics trailed behind.

Elves were the most popular race (over 12.5 million), followed by Half-Elves and Humans. Tieflings, Drow, and Dragonborn also had high representation. Less common races included Half-Orcs, Githyanki, and Dwarves.

Specific class-race combinations emerged. Dwarves favored Paladins (20%), Dragonborn chose Sorcerers, Halflings preferred Bards and Rogues, Gnomes favored Bards and Druids, and Tieflings balanced between Paladin, Barbarian, and Warlock.

Epic Achievements and Story Choices

141,660 players conquered Honour Mode, while 1,223,305 playthroughs ended in defeat (76% deleted their saves, 24% continued in custom mode). 1.8 million players betrayed the Emperor, 329,000 convinced Orpheus to remain a mind flayer, and 3.3 million killed the Netherbrain (200,000 with Gale's sacrifice). A rare 34 players saw Avatar Lae'zel sacrifice herself after rejection.

These statistics paint a vivid picture of the Baldur's Gate 3 community, highlighting the diverse and engaging experiences players have enjoyed.