I think this is particularly what makes this so...awful. I was trapped in a relationship with an alcoholic drug user for four years. I've been away from him and in therapy for almost three now. Through it, I've learned that "reassigning abuse" is a thing. Where victims of abuse may be drawn to dark romance style roleplay either through fiction or irl in the context of a *loving and safe* environment, in order to reassign trauma with something better.
The game had designed something that typically, and unintentionally, tends to draw in people who have particular trauma. Then, either through accident, or extremely poor taste, decided it would be fun to have those people roleplay something unsafe and nonconsensual, and dropped it as a gift on *Valentine's Day.
Just...where was quality control? Was it written by AI? Why, oh why, did they think this was a good idea? I wish Larian would at least acknowledge it. Say something. Anything. Because now these same people who have been triggered by their content are getting dog piled and villainized by their entire fandom. It's a double slap. For just trying to play a game.
