Hard to guess why it was included without knowing what else is in there (and how that compares in terms of being outlandish), but at the very least the timing of that reveal and the resulting ~shock factor~ (more through word of mouth than first hand reactions) can translate into more people talking about it shortly before release, which is probably a good marketing move. The best time to market a game is a few weeks to a month before release, because it's close enough that anyone left "excited" after looking into it won't have forgotten about it, or totally moved on, when it releases. A few weeks also gives people time to schedule a day or two off work or whatever (I doubt it releasing on a Thursday/Friday (geography depending) is an accident either).
I think anglo supremacy in western media has given some people the wrong idea about what is funny and what is "degeneracy".
Yeah, fellow white man, don't you think pointless profanity is cool? Aren't black people cool too with using "nigger" all the time?
Far more likely explanation, is Larian catering to a massive furry audience. There is no masterplan to cause outrage, or haha adding ironic bear sex for funsies. It's simply business. Furries are a massive audience, and it's not the first time Larian caters to this type of people, they already had Big Red Lizard companion anally destroying your PC in DOS2, was that also ironic? Catering to trans/gay/furry audiences pays much better than anything else, so the game is made specifically to suit the tastes of these groups, and codexers in love with BG3 are probably members of one of these groups too - just either in denial stage, or staying hidden on purpose.I too find this explanation more likely than Swen and the team sitting in a dark room and conspiring how to normalize zoophilia. But we live in the 21st century, every demand for a narrative will be met by someone to push that narrative
Still, I find it pretty distasteful even as marketing moves go.
It should be noted, however, that as undead, Astarion has no blood pressure. So any lass or lad hoping to receive some pounding by him is in for a disappointment.
Larian is selling to millions. The furry audience may no longer look as massive to them as it does to you.
I wouldn't understimate the guy's knowledge. I for one had no idea the Red Prince can "anally destroy" the PC in D:OS2, but he seems to be perfectly versed in the subject.
There are a lot of furries, and they're incredibly loyal audience and willing to spend as lot on games that "support" them, same as trannies and gays. Pathfinder had nothing to do with furries, and yet when WotR had a poll for an additional race, furries massively rallied and made catpeople overwhelmingly win. Furries/trannies are very overrepresented in RPG gaming circles, and most devs are catering to them, it very cost effective to add some furry/tranny custimization options and sex scenes and shit and in exchange get million furries and trannies swarming your game - not to mention majority of the game journos being trannies/fags/furries and don't actually playing games they review, so even if they had nothing else but this singular gay bear sex scene and couple of pictures of chicks with dicks from character creator as a promo, it'd already be enough to guarantee them majority of 10/10 reviews.
1. Overwhelmingly by what absolute numbers? 1000? 10 000?
Imagine thinking that not speaking like an actual trash, low IQ peasant makes you puritan. You try too hard.
