Nobody reads the End User License Agreements. This is not a controversial statement, nor is it something we intend to reveal as if it’s unknown to everyone. They’re not read. They’re verbose, half the time not understood, always saying the same things, and even if we bothered to read them in full, we’d realize it doesn’t matter at all: laws restrict what can be written in a contract to such an extent that they’re basically copy and paste from one another. Except when we’re talking about Baldur’s Gate 3. Baldur’s Gate 3 takes contracts as seriously as players should take the game.
Larian Studios, the studio behind the excellent Baldur’s Gate 3, has added a playful touch to its End User License Agreement (EULA). In section 5 of their EULA, there’s a section titled “Additional Obligations under the Primordial Law.” What does the text say? Well, it’s better if you read it for yourself.
“It is time for a pause, as we understand that your mind craves respite after enduring the legal jargon of the numerous preceding clauses.
So, setting aside the weighty volumes of somber legality, embracing a lighter path of ancient customs and mystical decrees that governed fair folk, be aware that by accepting this Pact, you agree to refrain from entering into a pact with another creature of Fey, Infernal, or Primordial origin. Should you find yourself unable to resist the seductive melody whispered by their malevolent terms, we reserve the right to sever all professional or social ties with the end user and seek a suitable resolution from the Morninglord.”
Essentially, Larian reserves the right to prevent you from continuing to play Baldur’s Gate 3 if you make any kind of pact with fairies, demons, or supernatural entities like Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, or even a Mind Flayer. This might not seem fair to many players of the game, but deep down, it’s understandable: no legal department wants to have to explain in a courtroom that a gamer’s soul belongs to them and not to Azathoth, the antithesis of creation.
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