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Parts of the game's writing attracted some negative initial reviews on Steam and Gog, with ''[[Eurogamer]]''{{'}}s Robert Purchese reporting that criticism focused on two scenes. The first is the character Minsc's quip, "Really, it's about ethics in heroic adventuring", a reference to the [[Gamergate controversy]]. The second is an optional dialogue tree in which the cleric Mizhena mentions that she was raised as a boy, indicating that she is a [[trans woman]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-05-new-baldurs-gate-expansion-siege-of-dragonspear-off-to-a-rough-start|title=New Baldur's Gate expansion Siege of Dragonspear off to a rough start | last=Purchese|first=Robert |website=[[Eurogamer]] | date=April 5, 2016 | accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref> Colin Campbell of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' reported that writer Amber Scott faced online harassment and insults, and that the game's Steam and GOG pages were bombarded with complaints that the transgender reference constituted "political correctness," "[[LGBT]] tokenism" and "[[SJW]] pandering."<ref name=polygon>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/4/5/11371428/baldurs-gate-dragonspear-trans-statement | title=Vitriol and harassment hit developers of new Baldur's Gate expansion | last=Campbell | first=Colin | website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | date=April 5, 2016 | accessdate=April 10, 2016}}</ref> Scott said she wanted to address elements in the original ''Baldur's Gate'' that she considered sexist, including its depictions of Safana as a "sex object" and Jaheira as a "nagging wife" played for comedy.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/04/the-struggle-to-bring-back-baldurs-gate-after-17-years/ | title= The Struggle To Bring Back Baldur's Gate After 17 Years | last=Grayson | first=Nathan | website=[[Eurogamer]] | date=April 1, 2016 | accessdate=June 17, 2016}}</ref> She had previously commented: "I get to make decisions about who I write about and why. I don't like writing about straight/white/cis people all the time. It's not reflective of the real world, it sets up s/w/c as the 'normal' baseline from which 'other' characters must be added, and it's boring."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://kotaku.com/the-social-justice-controversy-surrounding-baldurs-gate-1769176581 | title=The 'Social Justice' Controversy Surrounding Baldur's Gate's New Expansion | last=Grayson | first=Nathan | website=[[Eurogamer]] | date=April 6, 2016 | accessdate= April 6, 2016}}</ref>
Five days after the expansion's release, Jeff Grubb of [[VentureBeat]] reported that 142 people had posted negative user reviews on Metacritic, the vast majority giving a score of "zero", and suggested that a mob of [[gamer]]s were attempting to punish the expansion for adding diversity.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/04/05/baldurs-gates-expansion-adds-diversity-and-of-course-some-people-hate-it/ | title=Baldur's Gate's expansion adds diversity, and of course some people hate it (update) | website=[[VentureBeat]] | last=Grubb | first=Jeff | date=April 5, 2016 | accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref> [[Ed Greenwood]], creator of the [[Forgotten Realms]] game world in which the ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' series takes place, defended the inclusion of a transgender character, writing, "If it's not for you, that's fine. I hate wearing certain shades of yellow. But I don't scream and yell at someone I see wearing those shades of yellow, and call them names, and threaten things. My right to dislike yellow applies to me; it doesn't extend to others."<ref name=polygon/>
On an April 2016 post discussing both technical and content issues, [[Beamdog]] announced they would be removing the Gamergate joke and expanding Mizhena's story, saying in part, "In retrospect, it would have been better served if we had introduced a transgender character with more development."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-mod-cuts-transgender-reference/ | first=Andy | last=Chalk | title=Update: Beamdog cuts "ethics" joke from Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear | website=[[PC Gamer]] | date=April 6, 2016 | accessdate=April 10, 2016}}</ref> To this effect, the 2.5 patch added a new quest, given by Mizhena; the dialogue tree where Mizhena indicate being a trans woman is now after the player has completed the quest, rather than the first time the player meet Mizhena.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.beamdog.com/2018/08/updates-to-baldurs-gate-enhanced.html|title=Updates to Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition & Siege of Dragonspear|last=SDBeamdog|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref> Paul Tumburro of ''[[CraveOnline]]'' termed this as "spineless and disappointing" stating that Beamdog's founder Trent Oster refused to acknowledge the [[transphobia|transphobic]] criticisms leveled at the game.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/975659-beamdogs-response-baldurs-gate-controversy-spineless-disappointing | first=Paul | last=Tumburro | title=Beamdog's Response to the Baldur's Gate Controversy is Spineless and Disappointing | website=[[CraveOnline]] | date=April 12, 2016 | accessdate=November 13, 2016}}</ref>
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