Baldur's Gate 3 devs shocked by players jumping through the entire thing - didn't see that coming

Larian Studios, the creators of Baldur's Gate 3, anticipated that players might try to kill every character they encounter, potentially derailing the game's narrative. However, they were taken aback by speedrunners utilizing unexpected strategies, such as leveraging jumps to traverse the game at unprecedented speeds. Beyond general mayhem, players have developed inventive techniques like 'Shadowboxing,' where they manipulate the game's physics to expedite their journey through the story. During an interview, Swen Vincke, the game's director at Larian, expressed his amazement at these creative tactics. He also highlighted the team's 'n+1 principle,' a design approach to ensure that critical story information can still be conveyed even when players disrupt the intended gameplay. Furthermore, the developers went to great lengths, crafting numerous scenarios to keep the storyline on track despite player antics. Notably, Baldur's Gate 3 won't be seeing a sequel or received planned DLC, as the focus has shifted away from these projects.

Speedrunners in Baldur's Gate 3 utilize methods like 'Shadowboxing,' where they kill a character named Shadowheart and use a glitch to rapidly move through the game. Additionally, they employ precision jumping techniques to skip large sections of the game, and other creative exploits to shave time off their runs.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a role-playing game developed by Larian Studios known for their previous success with the Divinity: Original Sin series. It builds upon the legacy of the classic Baldur's Gate titles, incorporating deep storytelling and strategic combat into a vast, fantasy world. The game is grounded in the Dungeons & Dragons universe and gives players the freedom to shape their journey through dialogue choices, battle strategies, and even the option to engage with or fight nearly every character they meet. Taking advantage of these features, some players have even turned to speedrunning and finding unique ways to play, as mentioned above.