Larian Studios addresses translator credit controversy, promises immediate action to fix industry oversight
The Discovery and Community Response
The gaming community uncovered a significant oversight in Baldur’s Gate 3’s credits, revealing multiple translators from localization firm Altagram were omitted from recognition despite substantial contributions.
Baldur’s Gate 3 achieved remarkable success following its 2023 launch, exceeding developer expectations and securing a position among Steam’s all-time top ten concurrent player counts. This massive RPG’s extensive content and player freedom options demonstrated the developers’ dedication across multiple years of development.
Community members expressed justified outrage upon discovering that Altagram’s localization team members received no credit for their translation work. Social media platforms quickly amplified the issue, prompting developer Larian Studios to address the controversy directly.
Translators dedicated three years to @baldursgate3 localization, processing over one million words while @Altagram_Group credited only executives and team leaders.
This practice consistently violates ethical standards, but following similar incidents with Persona titles, it represents particularly concerning corporate behavior. https://t.co/ux0nZLm5wg
Industry professionals note this isn’t Altagram’s first crediting controversy, with similar issues arising during Diablo 4’s localization process. This pattern suggests systemic problems within game localization practices that require industry-wide attention.
Larian Studios’ Immediate Action
Larian Studios provided Eurogamer with an official statement clarifying they were unaware of the crediting omission and had no involvement in the decision. “Altagram group bears full responsibility for this oversight,” a company representative stated. “We contacted them immediately and demanded corrective action.”
The developer formally requested complete contributor lists from Altagram and committed to ensuring all translators receive proper credit. “We initiated remediation procedures with Altagram immediately upon learning about the situation,” confirmed Larian’s spokesperson.
Initially planning to include corrected credits in a hotfix, Larian revised their approach to incorporate the updates in the game’s inaugural major patch. This decision ensures more comprehensive implementation and proper testing before deployment.
The studio’s prompt response demonstrates their commitment to fair labor recognition, contrasting with Altagram’s repeated failure to properly credit contractors. This incident highlights the importance of developer oversight regarding third-party vendor practices.
The Scale of Localization Work
Beneath the initial social media post revealing the controversy, a Spanish localization team member detailed the extensive work involved in Baldur’s Gate 3’s translation process.
“As part of the properly credited Spanish localization team, I can verify our nearly four-year effort translated over 2.5 million words,” they explained. “Every translation team received appropriate credit except Altagram’s contributors.”
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Despite Diablo IV featuring 41 minutes of credits, @Altagram_Group omitted German freelance translators from recognition. This repeated negligence deserves condemnation.#translatorsinthecredits pic.twitter.com/nzomWoXO31
Localization represents one of gaming’s most demanding specialized fields, requiring not just linguistic expertise but deep cultural understanding and subject matter knowledge. Professional translators typically work under tight deadlines while maintaining narrative consistency across massive word counts.
The gaming industry’s increasing globalization makes proper localization crediting increasingly crucial. As games target worldwide audiences simultaneously, translation teams work concurrently across multiple languages, often under significant pressure.
Broader Industry Implications
Players commended Larian’s swift corrective measures while noting Altagram’s previous Diablo 4 crediting issues. This situation has stimulated important discussions about localization industry standards and improvement strategies.
The gaming industry frequently faces criticism for inadequate contractor recognition, particularly regarding localization and quality assurance teams. These specialized roles remain essential for global releases yet often receive minimal public acknowledgment.
Best practices for developers include implementing verification processes for third-party vendor crediting, establishing clear contractual requirements for contributor recognition, and conducting regular audits of credit lists before publication.
Community vigilance continues driving positive change, as demonstrated by this incident. Social media platforms provide powerful tools for industry workers and players to highlight unfair practices and demand accountability from developers and publishers.
The ongoing conversation emphasizes that proper crediting represents both ethical obligation and practical necessity for maintaining industry talent. Recognizing specialized contributors ensures future projects can attract and retain skilled professionals essential for gaming’s continued global expansion.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Baldur’s Gate 3 devs respond to backlash over uncredited translators Larian Studios addresses translator credit controversy, promises immediate action to fix industry oversight