Larian Writer Addresses Wyll's Lack of Baldur's Gate 3 Content

During a recent Reddit AMA, Kevin VanOrd, a senior writer at Larian Studios, addressed ongoing fan feedback regarding the character Wyll in Baldur's Gate 3. VanOrd acknowledged that Wyll received less post-launch attention than other companions and shared his own frustration with the outcome. The writer attributed the disparity to a series of development hurdles, including a complete narrative rewrite that occurred late in the production cycle.

Furthermore, VanOrd revealed that a key segment of Wyll's story involving the Red War College was cut, and his own unexpected illness further restricted development time. Although the team managed to include the Ansur's lair dungeon, the writer noted that Wyll's arc often lacks a distinct endpoint compared to other characters. The AMA also touched on the contrast between Wyll's updates and the significant new content provided to characters like Karlach, who received a new ending in Patch 7.

The primary reason for the limited content surrounding Wyll stems from significant changes made during the game's development cycle. According to Kevin VanOrd, the team struggled to connect with Wyll's initial recruitment scenario and questline during the Early Access period. Consequently, the writing team made the decision to completely restart his character arc at a point when the stories of other companions were already solidified. This late start meant that many decisions regarding Wyll's narrative trajectory occurred much later in development than was ideal.

These timing issues were compounded by the cancellation of specific story elements that the developers had intended to include. VanOrd specifically mentioned a plan to heavily involve Wyll in a situation near Baldur's Gate centered around the Red War College. This planned narrative thread was ultimately cut, forcing the team back to the drawing board yet again. Eventually, the writers pivoted to tying Wyll more closely to Duke Ravengard, but this shift occurred just as VanOrd faced a significant health issue.

Even after the game's release, the development of Wyll's story faced obstacles. Kevin VanOrd revealed that he was unexpectedly ill and out of the office for an extended period, which impacted the ability to expand Wyll's narrative further. The team did have resources to create a standalone dungeon, which resulted in the inclusion of Ansur's lair. VanOrd credits Swen Vincke with the idea to connect Wyll to the Wyrmway through this dungeon.

However, the writer noted that he was only able to get a dungeon boss out of the opportunity due to the time constraints. Once the situations were in place, the writing process had to begin immediately, leaving less room for expansion. VanOrd stated, "I wish Wyll had gotten more content and a more fulfilling arc too." He further explained, "I think that Ansur's lair was Swen's idea - we did have the resources for a standalone dungeon, so we got to work on tying Wyll to the Wyrmway, but I couldn't get more than a dungeon boss out of it."

VanOrd offered a critical look at the structural choices made for Wyll's story, admitting that splitting the narrative may have been a mistake. He noted that Wyll is effectively split into two distinct stories: the Mizora story and the Ravengard story. In hindsight, the writer believes this bifurcation might have weakened the overall arc. Additionally, VanOrd expressed that the lack of a meaningful transformation for Wyll was a persistent issue that bothered him personally.

Specifically, the writer noted that Wyll often ends the game exactly as he started: as the Blade of Frontiers, without significant difference. This lack of evolution stands in contrast to other companions who undergo drastic changes. Regarding the specific content disparities, recent fan analysis indicates that Wyll has just under 9 hours of speaking dialogue, which is lower than most other main companions. However, this is still more than the late-game companions like Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira, and Minsc. VanOrd clarified that Patch 7 did make light tweaks to Wyll's romantic dialogue but did not provide new story content.

The insights provided by Kevin VanOrd clarify that the lack of Wyll's content was not due to a lack of care, but rather a convergence of unfortunate timing, health issues, and late-stage development pivots. While the writer expressed regret that he could not provide Wyll with a more fulfilling arc and a stronger endpoint, he remains proud of the character's sincerity and heroism. The discussion highlights the complex nature of game development and the challenges of retrofitting narratives for beloved characters after a game's core structure is established.