Baldur's Gate 3 may have the worst video game merchandise ever made

Metro

20-05-2025

A set of figurines depicting the main characters from Baldur's Gate 3 has been upsetting and amusing fans in equal measure, as a refund is offered by the manufacturer.
Most people like to own a physical memento of their favourite games, whether it's a T-shirt, key ring, or some kind of action figure or statute. You can get all that and more for most big name video games, although there has perhaps been less for smash hit Baldur's Gate 3 than you might expect.
Board game maker WizKids has attempted to fill that gap in the market with a range of miniatures recreating the game's lead characters, but the end result has, to put things mildly, been something of a disappointment.
The Dungeons & Dragons: Icons Of The Realms – Baldur's Gate 3 is a set of seven figurines that costs £49.99 in the UK. That's relatively cheap for this sort of thing, which is already a red flag, although no one was prepared for just how bad the final product has turned out.
Although the official promotional images all seem quite impressive, the actual toys don't look anything like them. As one fan on Reddit pointed out, the underlying miniatures are perfectly fine but the paint seems to have been applied by someone that's either partially sighted, drunk, or both.
Other fans on Reddit compared it, unfavourably, to the work of Picasso and the infamous 'Potato Jesus' restoration of a 19th century fresco in Spain.
The characters are Astarion, Karlach, Gale, Shadowheart, Wyll, Lae'zel, and Withers; they're all awful but Shadowheart seems to have come off the worst, at least in terms of the photos that have been posted online – but it's very likely the quality varies greatly.
To their credit, WizKids has admitted the set is awful and is offering a full refund. 'Unfortunately, we missed the mark on this goal with the D&D Icons of the Realms: Baldur's Gate 3 Character Boxed Set,' says a statement on their website. More Trending
'We're aware of the recent reports and complaints and are taking them seriously. Our team is currently investigating these issues and taking action to make this right for those whose purchases were negatively affected and to ensure these issues do not recur in future products and reprints.
'Please accept our sincerest apologies for the frustration and disappointment these quality issues caused our customers. We, too, feel the same as the final product did not meet our expectations or that of our Wizards of the Coast partner.'
After a quick google we found the set being sold at Zatu Games for a reduced price of £43.19. There's also what looks to be blind box versions of the same characters plus additional enemies and monsters at Forbidden Planet.
There don't seem to be any specific reports about the quality of those, but for obvious reasons you might want to think twice before giving them a try.
Email [e-mail], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.
To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 OLED Model is happening if Samsung gets its way
MORE: The Last Of Us Part 3 suffers new blow as Naughty Dog admit to second secret game
MORE: Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear spiritual successor won't be out this decade