The beloved character Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 initially had a different personality. Shadowheart was originally designed to be much more cunning and sarcastic. However, things did not go as planned, and the developers decided to change her personality. So, what led the developers to change this character’s personality? Here are the details…
Shadowheart was initially cunning and sarcastic! They changed her personality
The developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 initially designed Shadowheart as a highly cunning, spoiled, and sarcastic character. Director Swen Vincke mentioned that the purpose of this design was to create distrust among party members and have them overcome this distrust over time. However, things did not go as planned.
Feedback from players during the Early Access period led to changes in Shadowheart’s personality. A developer mentioned that they really disliked Shadowheart’s overly cunning and sarcastic nature, stating that it evoked hatred. Consequently, they decided to make changes to her personality. Vincke recalls that some players gave very clear feedback, saying, “This is a mistake, you need to change it.”
Players wanted the character to be more balanced and likable through their feedback. As a result, they undertook a personality change operation. Following the changes made for Shadowheart, her cunning and spoiled traits were significantly reduced. However, curiosity about the original design of this character still remains. Vincke mentioned that if Shadowheart’s initial version were offered as an optional mod in the game, he would be a bit scared to see how her relationships, especially with Lae’zel, would develop.
Shadowheart’s hidden story demonstrated how much player feedback was considered during the development of Baldur’s Gate 3. What do you think about these changes? Would you have liked to see a more cunning and spoiled version of Shadowheart? Don’t forget to share your opinions in the comments below…