Baldur's Gate 3's companions are brought to life using motion capture, which means that the various raunchy scenes with the player character had to be acted out in real life. In a new interview, two Baldur's Gate 3 actors share how they shot these scenes, and all the "weirdness" that came with it.
They also reveal that developer Larian Studios hired intimacy coordinators, in what might be a first in the gaming industry. While admitting things could get a little "crazy" with the love scenes, the actors say they never felt too "yuck" when filming them, with the coordinators ensuring everyone's comfort.
This comes from a BBC interview with Jennifer English and Devora Wilde, who play Shadowheart and Lae'zel respectively. Here, they discuss the similarities and differences between Baldur's Gate 3 and their other acting gigs - so of course, the game's various sex scenes were brought up.
Since romance is such a significant part of Baldur's Gate 3, Jennifer English says she was "pleased" that Larian had hired intimacy coordinators - someone to oversee sex scene filming and make sure everyone is comfortable - as this isn't standard practice in the gaming industry.
"I never felt 'yuck' in a recording session at all," says English. "And I've got quite a low 'yuck' threshold."
Even the (now famous) bear sex scene wasn't enough to make the actors too uncomfortable. "It just shows you how crazy in the best possible way this game is," says Wilde.
Whatever it was they were filming on any given day, it's safe to say that the actors have been incredibly busy. It was recently shared that there would be 17,000 ending combinations, so it certainly seems that players can craft the kind of story they want. Much of that will rely on companions like Shadowheart and Lae'zel, both of whom are set to be romanceable in the final game, as they have been in early access.
Larian also told the BBC that it hopes other game developers will adopt the use of intimacy coordinators, just as many film and TV productions have. Indeed, as the industry both aims for more realism and increasingly casts actors who got their start in film and TV, it could very well become expected, perhaps even a deal breaker for some who want to feel better protected during these intimate scenes.
That being said, gaming actors have other demands too. We spoke to some recently, including others who provide mocap performances, and many are fearful that studios will simply start reusing their work, rather than hire them for new projects. As for Baldur's Gate 3, however, the actors seem pleased with how the process has gone - even if it got a little weird at times.