The 5 Biggest Secrets Of 'A Very Larian Christmas' 2024: Minthara's Carol And The Next Epic RPG Tease
As of December 21, 2025, the magic of Larian Studios' annual holiday celebration, "A Very Larian Christmas," continues to resonate with fans, especially following the massive success of their latest installment. The event, which most recently took place in December 2024, has become a beloved tradition, moving far beyond a simple seasonal greeting to become a treasure trove of exclusive content, fan engagement, and even major developer teases. This deep dive uncovers the biggest secrets, rewards, and long-term implications of the latest iteration of Larian's festive fun, particularly for the dedicated community of Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3) players.
The developer behind the Game of the Year-winning RPG has a unique flair for community interaction, and the Christmas event is the pinnacle of that engagement. It’s not just about holiday cheer; it's a meticulously crafted digital experience—often structured as an Advent Calendar—that rewards players for their dedication with unique lore, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and hilarious character moments that expand the world of Faerûn in unexpected ways.
Larian Studios' Holiday Tradition: A Very Larian Christmas Explained
Larian Studios, the Belgian powerhouse responsible for the critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3 and the Divinity: Original Sin series, established their holiday tradition as a way to give back to their passionate fanbase. The event typically runs for 12 days leading up to Christmas, taking the form of a digital Advent Calendar.
Each day, fans are presented with a new puzzle, riddle, or challenge. Solving the daily task unlocks a unique "gift." These gifts are far from mere digital trinkets. They often include:
- Exclusive Art: Official wallpapers, concept art, and never-before-seen sketches of beloved characters.
- Unreleased Music: Tracks from the game's score that didn't make the final cut or alternate versions of iconic themes.
- Short Stories & Lore: Written pieces that expand on the lives of companions or minor characters in the Baldur's Gate 3 universe.
- Animated Shorts: The most anticipated rewards, featuring fan-favorite companions in hilarious holiday scenarios.
The event serves as a brilliant piece of fan service, reinforcing the studio's reputation for being deeply connected to its community. It also provides fresh, official content during a time when major game updates might be on hiatus.
The Latest Event: 'A Very Larian Christmas' 2024 Highlights
The most recent official event, which concluded in late December 2024, was heavily focused on the world of Baldur's Gate 3. Given the game's monumental success throughout the year, the anticipation was at an all-time high. The event successfully merged the high-fantasy setting of Faerûn with classic holiday tropes, much to the delight of the community.
The 2024 calendar was arguably the most ambitious yet, featuring intricate puzzles that required knowledge of BG3 lore, game mechanics, and even Larian's previous titles like Divinity: Original Sin 2. The rewards were a mix of cozy holiday cheer and intriguing new canonical content.
The 5 Biggest Secrets and Exclusive Content Unlocked
While the calendar offered 12 days of unique gifts, five pieces of content stood out as the most talked-about secrets and rewards from the latest "A Very Larian Christmas" event, driving massive discussion across social media and gaming forums.
1. Minthara’s Christmas Carol: A Drow Redemption Story
The undisputed highlight of the 2024 calendar was the animated short and story, "Minthara’s Christmas Carol." This reward was unlocked on one of the final days and immediately went viral. The short put the fan-favorite, yet morally dubious, Drow Paladin, Minthara, in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The narrative featured Minthara being visited by festive ghosts—likely characters from the game's past or future—forcing her to confront her less-than-jolly actions. This was more than just a funny animation; it provided a unique, non-canonical, yet deeply entertaining character study that further endeared the complex companion to the player base. The narration and animation quality were exceptionally high, making it feel like a true, albeit brief, expansion of the Baldur's Gate 3 universe.
2. The 'So Big' Next Game Tease from Swen Vincke
Perhaps the most significant secret for the future of Larian Studios was a subtle but clear tease regarding their next major project. Included in one of the daily unlocks—often alongside a festive video message from Larian CEO Swen Vincke—was a direct hint that the studio's next RPG would be "so big."
This statement, which was later picked up by major gaming news outlets, confirmed that Larian is planning a massive, ambitious title following the closure of their work on Baldur's Gate 3. While no title or setting was revealed, the context of the Christmas gift—a message of immense scale and ambition—served as a massive promise to the community and a key talking point for the entire holiday season.
3. Exclusive Unreleased Musical Tracks
The Baldur's Gate 3 soundtrack is lauded as one of the best in recent memory, and the "A Very Larian Christmas" event delivered a treat for audiophiles. Several days unlocked unreleased musical tracks, including alternate versions of key themes like "Down by the River" and ambient tracks for regions like the Shadow-Cursed Lands and the city of Baldur's Gate.
These tracks not only provided excellent background music for players but also offered a fascinating look into the musical development process, showcasing how composer Borislav Slavov and his team experimented with different moods and orchestrations before settling on the final scores. This kind of behind-the-scenes content is highly valued by fans of the game's artistic direction.
4. High-Resolution Official Wallpapers and Concept Art
Another staple of the event is the release of official, high-resolution digital art. The 2024 calendar included stunning wallpapers featuring the core BG3 companions—Astarion, Gale, Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Wyll, and Karlach—in festive, yet still in-character, settings. For instance, one piece showed Gale attempting to conjure a magical Christmas tree, while another depicted Karlach struggling to fit a massive, brightly wrapped gift through a dungeon door.
The concept art drops were equally compelling, offering early sketches of characters, enemies, and environments that showed how the visual identity of the game evolved over its long development cycle. This content is crucial for fan artists and content creators who rely on official assets for their own derivative works.
5. The Return of the Larian Advent Calendar Puzzles
The puzzles themselves are a massive entity within the event. Each day's puzzle is a mini-game that requires active participation, often involving decoding ciphers, solving logic grid puzzles, or finding hidden clues within Larian’s official websites and social media channels.
The 2024 puzzles were notably challenging, creating a collaborative environment where the community worked together on platforms like Reddit and Discord to crack the codes. This collaborative puzzle-solving element is a key part of the event's topical authority, turning a passive gift-giving exercise into an active, shared community adventure. The successful completion of all 12 puzzles often led to a final, grand reward, cementing the feeling of having completed a true holiday quest.
Topical Authority: Larian's Ongoing Community Engagement
The "A Very Larian Christmas" event, particularly the latest 2024 iteration, is a masterclass in community engagement and topical authority. It demonstrates that Larian Studios views their games not as finished products but as living worlds that can be revisited and expanded upon through non-traditional means.
By focusing on fan-favorite entities like Minthara and the companions, and by providing a continuous stream of fresh, high-quality content, Larian maintains the relevance of Baldur's Gate 3 long after its launch. The subtle teases about their next project also ensures that the studio remains at the forefront of gaming discussions, generating immense positive buzz without needing a formal announcement.
The tradition, which has roots in their earlier work on Divinity: Original Sin 2 and its subsequent "Larian Calendar Events," has evolved into one of the most anticipated annual events in the RPG calendar. It’s a testament to the studio's philosophy: great games are built with the community, and the holidays are the perfect time to celebrate that partnership.
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