Larian livestream blocked Aug. 5

Larian Studios’ official Baldur’s Gate 3 livestream was blocked on YouTube and TikTok during an Aug. 5 broadcast after a sex scene appeared on stream, according to Polygon. The interrupted show was part of the studio’s recurring Dark Urge playthrough series, which Larian runs on its “Channel From Hell” accounts. Polygon reported that both platforms removed the live broadcast while it was still underway. Larian has not publicly posted a full account of the takedowns on its main site, but the company’s YouTube materials identify the series as an official weekly production. ### Which Larian broadcast was hit? YouTube listings for “Larian plays Baldur’s Gate 3 | Aoife’s Dark Urge Run” identify the series as a weekly stream led by Aoife Wilson, Larian’s senior communications developer. The playlist description says the show airs on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. ET and follows a Dark Urge playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3. (polygon.com) Polygon reported that the Aug. 5 episode was cut off after the stream showed a sex scene involving Haarlep, the incubus character in the House of Hope section of the game. The article said the removal happened on both YouTube and TikTok during the live broadcast. ### Why would an official stream of the game be removed? (youtube.com) Polygon said the platforms flagged the content under rules related to sexual material, even though the footage came from Larian’s own commercially released game. Baldur’s Gate 3 carries an ESRB “Mature 17+” rating that includes sexual content and partial nudity, according to Polygon’s game database page. (polygon.com) YouTube’s general platform pages available in search results do not, by themselves, explain the specific enforcement action in this case. What is verified from Polygon’s reporting is narrower: the official stream was removed after the scene aired, and the interruption affected both YouTube and TikTok. ### Has this happened to Larian before? (polygon.com) Larian’s own Baldur’s Gate 3 community update from last year said the studio had previously “earn[ed] a TikTok ban” during the game’s launch-period promotion. In that post, the company referred to “druidic love crimes,” a reference to the game’s widely discussed romance content. ScreenHacker, summarizing remarks from a 2024 retrospective panel, also reported that Larian staff discussed being banned on TikTok after showing the game’s “bear scene” during earlier promotion. (polygon.com) That earlier episode is separate from the Aug. 5 stream, but it shows the studio has run into moderation problems before while marketing Baldur’s Gate 3’s sexual content. (forums.larian.com) ### Where was the stream supposed to fit in Larian’s schedule? Larian’s YouTube channel description says “Channel From Hell” hosts regular streams, development-team shows and updates from the studio. The Dark Urge run is one of those recurring formats, and the playlist page presents it as an ongoing series rather than a one-off event. Polygon’s report said the blocked episode was part of Larian’s weekly Baldur’s Gate 3 programming. (screenhacker.com) That means the Aug. 5 interruption hit one of the studio’s routine community broadcasts, not a surprise promotional stunt. ### What can viewers watch next? The YouTube playlist for “Aoife’s Dark Urge Run” remains publicly listed, and its description says the show airs weekly on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. (youtube.com) ET. Larian’s “Channel From Hell” page also remains active with archived videos and stream listings, which is where viewers would be most likely to find the next scheduled episode or any replacement upload. (youtube.com) (polygon.com)