WizKids Offers Refund and Apologies For Those Pricey ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ Minis
Over the weekend, WizKids apologized and began accepting refunds for the Baldur’s Gate 3 boxed sets, saying it “missed the mark.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 is known for many things. Its branching storyline full of sprawling possibilties, the risks it took with homebrewed, powerful rules, and perhaps most of all, its cast of characters, who embody the nonstop bickering and aimmering sexual tension inherent to any good D&D party. With iconic looks, the BG3 party is everywhere these days. Stardew Valley, the ill-fated Project Sigil, and of course, in miniature form. Though this last one has brought WizKids some trouble; the Baldur’s Gate 3 miniatures in their final versions look like someone has applied a hefty dose of barrelmancy directly to their faces.
WizKids Offers Apology After Baldur’s Gate 3 Miniatures Arrive in Poor Condition
WizKids released its statement following a wave of community uproar expressing disappointment with the pre-painted miniatures. Because, even for pre-paints, these look miles away from what WizKids promised. Which is what folks were noting around the various corners of the internet.
And pre-painted miniatures, to be fair, have their share of issues. But usually you get a decent representation of what you’re going for. Among the more common problems are things like droopy weapons and paint schemes that are a bit flat in comparison to high quality paint schemes. But you don’t have to paint them. That’s the whole appeal. With these miniatures, though WizKids seemed to really upsell the look of them. Just the promotional artwork for the Baldur’s Gate 3 miniatures set. All the faces seem to be in the right place. Expressions are readable. Compare that to the final product.
As you can see, there’s a pretty stark difference—starker than usual between the promo images and the final artwork, which brings us to WizKids’ statement:
“As a company, WizKids seeks to create products that enhance and add to the enjoyment of game play. We want our customers to build long-lasting, fond memories around game nights with friends and family using our products.
Unfortunately, we missed the mark on this goal with the D&D Icons of the Realms: Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Boxed Set. If you purchased this set through our online stores, we will be offering a full refund to those who are unsatisfied with their set. To begin a request, please contact [email protected].
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.
If you purchased your set from a local retailer, please return it at your point of purchase for a full refund. If you have any issues, please reach out to us for assistance at the email above. However, if you wish for a product replacement, we ask that you create a case through https://win.wizkids.com/replacements/. We will work with you to provide a product replacement and ensure that it meets the standards expected.
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. Our teams are working to find the best solutions to resolve this for all involved and to work with you, our customers, to fix this. We appreciate your patience as we focus on getting back to those affected and helping them with their refunds in a timely manner.”
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I think a part of the problem here is that Baldur’s Gate 3‘s characters are so distinct, and so recognizable, there’s less margin for error. In addition to whatever has happened here. Some folks say this is the usual pre-paint quality. My own personal experience has seen a variety, but it’s usually serviceable to okay, if not outright decent.
And then there’s the rather sharp distinction between what was promised and what WizKids delivered. Like, sure, you can expect some variance. But as Larian’s senior cinematic artist, Elodie Ceselli, wrote on social media, the end results were shameful:
“Only Gale has a decent face. It’s expensive for a 5 years old painting work… Shame on you @Wizards_DnD.”
And there’s the other sticking point here. These sets were a little on the pricier side, for many reasons. The Baldur’s Gate 3 miniatures boxed set came with a $50 price tag for six miniatures. It wasn’t even just the final paint job that brought disappointment to consumers. One user posted that they had received a box with a headless Shadowheart:
All that to say, it seems like something has gone awry with the miniatures beyond the usual production incidents. WizKids has offered refunds to its customers, but also has the option to make an exchange. Though without an improvement on the quality, this latter option seems doubtful.
Wizards of the Coast has been pushing the Baldur’s Gate 3 characters everywhere as of late. Astarion makes an appearance in the new Monster Manual. The actors portraying the characters play them at D&D Live events. The Baldur’s Gate 3 party is one of the new faces of D&D. So WotC might want to make sure they put their best face forward.
And while there’s no substitute for hand-painted miniatures done by a professional, it seems like there ought to be a middle ground somewhere that’s acceptable for all. The question remains, who will find it first?
In the meantime, if you have purchased these, you can contact WizKids’ customer service and begin the request for a refund. Or follow this link to initiate the request for a replacement. WizKids has stated it will work with you to ensure that it meets the standards expected. The rest of us will have to wait and see if WizKids delivers another round of BG3 miniatures.
Replacements and refunds and an apology, WizKids is at the very least acknowledging its mistake.
