August 3, 2023 You can now read our Baldur’s Gate 3 review.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally here, and developer Larian Studios has jokingly suggested fans request the day off to play the game, even creating a ‘special dispensation’ form you can try your luck with. Obviously, it’s just a cute little marketing gimmick to promote Baldur’s Gate 3’s release date, but for one lucky guy, it actually worked!
Last night, on August 2, Aarik Dorobiala, Senior Community Manager at Obsidian Entertainment, tweeted out a picture of their filled out form, requesting time off to play Baldur’s Gate 3. Conspicuously, at the bottom, it’s stamped ‘Approved’.
Just in case we doubt the veracity of the claim – after all, anyone could buy a stamp – Dorobiala tagged their boss, Director of Communications Mikey Dowling, in the tweet.
Of course, it’s possible one could pitch this as scoping out the competition. After all, Obsidian is well known for work on cRPG titles like Pillars of Eternity, Wasteland 2, and Tyranny – plus its founders worked on the previous wave of DnD video games. But Larian Studios’ form is one-size-fits-all, so there was no opportunity for such special pleading.
That said, while the form is generic, it makes about as strong a case as can be made for skipping out on your job to play video games, arguing that “the experiences gained and bonds formed will undoubtedly translate into newfound skills and relationships that shall benefit both the company and myself”. Not sure that befriending a Baldur’s Gate 3 companion counts as networking, strictly speaking.
The form explains that you are “compelled to answer a calling” and promises extra “enthusiasm and dedication” upon returning from your quest. Can’t say fairer than that. Larian’s obviously pretty pleased with the thing, as they’ve had it translated into 13 languages – all the supported languages for Baldur’s Gate 3 itself.
If you’ve not tried the form itself, it’s a little short notice, but perhaps you can still get the afternoon off. It worked for at least one person!
If you’re new to BG3, our guide to Baldur’s Gate 3 classes will help you get started. Old hands can instead check out these Baldur’s Gate 3 mods to spice up the experience. Or you might want to learn more about the Mind Flayer 5e, the premier baddy of the game.