Baldur's Gate 3 has an epic, sweeping opening cutscene reminiscent of triple-A games of the past where a massive scene-setting cinematic was almost mandatory. During the cinematic, we witness a nautiloid fly through a city, using its tendrils to capture and imprison its inhabitants. The ship is then attacked by dragon-riding githyanki, who forces the illithid pilot to teleport to different locations to try and evade the attackers. Eventually, the nautiloid winds up in Avernus, which is where the game begins.
It's a cool opening and sets the scene for the rest of the narrative; the party becoming embroiled in various illithid and gith conflicts. Interestingly, several commenters on a recent Reddit thread by DragonHeart_97 said they always believed the city from the opening was Baldur's Gate itself. Considering that you're playing a game called Baldur's Gate, you would be forgiven for thinking you're seeing the titular city in the opening. However, what you're actually seeing is the city of Yartar, a thriving city north of Baldur's Gate in the Dessarin Valley.
There are actually plenty of hints as to why the depicted city isn't Baldur's Gate. The guards in Yartar don't have the same sigil...
