Wizards of the Coast has taken action against a popular fan-made mod for Stardew Valley, titled "Baldur's Village," which integrated characters from Baldur's Gate 3 into the farming simulation game. Despite receiving public praise from Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke shortly after its release, the mod was hit with a DMCA takedown notice from Wizards of the Coast, the IP holder of Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate.

The "Baldur's Village" mod, which launched earlier this month, had caught the attention of Vincke, who lauded the effort and creativity put into the project on Twitter, stating, "So much love went into this - amazing work!" However, the mod's fate took a turn when Wizards of the Coast issued the takedown notice, leading to its removal from Nexus Mods.

A spokesperson from Nexus Mods expressed hope that the takedown might be an oversight by Wizards of the Coast, who often employ external agencies to monitor and address IP violations. "Hopefully, this is an oversight from WotC, who often use external agencies to hunt down violating content, and they will revert their decision," the spokesperson noted, adding, "Fingers crossed for Baldur's Village."

In response to the situation, Sven Vincke took to Twitter again, highlighting the value of fan mods and 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."

The takedown might be part of a broader strategy by Wizards of the Coast to protect the Baldur's Gate IP, especially with announcements about future plans for the franchise expected soon. Whether the removal of the "Baldur's Village" mod was a mistake or a deliberate move remains unclear. Wizards of the Coast has been contacted for further comment on the matter.