Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 1 improves the game in over 1,000 ways

By Tomas Franzese Published August 25, 2023

Larian Studios released Patch No. 1 for Baldur’s Gate 3 today, almost a month after launch and following several hotfixes. It brings over 1,000 gameplay improvements and bug fixes to the highly successful RPG.

Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3. — Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a massive success since its August 3 release on PC, but it definitely hasn’t been free of bugs and some other weird quirks. Four hotfixes have addressed some of the most pressing issues, but these patches are much larger in scale when it comes to what they add and fix. Larian says Patch 1 is primarily focused on game balance and flow tweaks, as well as bug fixes. There’s nothing too glamorous or game-changing, but it should make playing Baldur’s Gate 3 an even smoother experience.

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A couple of these fixes have to do with the game’s romance system. A bug causing the conclusion to Shadowheart’s romance to not activate properly has been fixed, and animations have been added so taller characters don’t awkwardly kiss or hug shorter ones anymore. Fixes have been made in preventing bugs at the Morphic Pool, an issue where loot wouldn’t appear on corpses in multiplayer, and some Game Over screens problematically appearing where they shouldn’t have. There are way too many tweaks and bug fixes to list here, so we recommend going to the Baldur’s Gate 3 website to check out the full list.

Unfortunately, game performance improvements aren’t part of Patch 1, as Larian Studios is saving those for Patch 2. But it says that we “won’t be waiting long” for those. Baldur’s Gate 3 is available now for PC, comes to PlayStation 5 on September 6, and will launch on Xbox Series X/S before the end of the year.

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A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Baldur’s Gate 3 will get modding support and more in next patch

The half elf shadowheart stares pensively at glowing in her hands in Baldur's Gate 3.

Despite Larian Studios moving on to new projects, it's not abandoning Baldur's Gate 3 just yet. The studio announced that Patch 7 is on the way in September, and it's bringing some much-requested features, including the long-awaited modding toolkit. A post on Steam delves into more details surrounding the toolkit, along with new features like dynamic split-screen mode and improvements to the permadeath Honour Mode.

The modding kit uses Mod.io, so players can download mods on both PC and console. Larian will still allow players to make mods outside the toolkit, but using the software will be the best way to ensure mods will remain compatible with any future fixes. It also offers easy access to assets such as cosmetics, classes, the UI, and more, along with an interface that's not just a long list of code.

Gaming

Baldur’s Gate 3 is getting a game-changing update later this year

A character speaks in Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 will finally get official modding support this September when Larian Studios releases Patch 7.

The developer confirmed this news in its latest community update on the Steam page for Baldur's Gate 3. Although this patch is a few months out, Larian announced it early because it wants to beta test what it's calling the "Baldur's Gate 3 Toolkit" prior to a wide release. It's inviting popular modders to test out the toolkit this month and will hold a bigger closed beta that supports 1,000 players in July.

Gaming

Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t getting DLC or a sequel from Larian, and that’s OK

Shadowheart post-launch outfit in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 game director Swen Vincke shocked fans of the Dungeons & Dragons RPG when he revealed that the critically acclaimed game would not get any expansions and that Larian Studios would not go right into making Baldur's Gate 4. Considering how much of a runaway success Baldur's Gate 3 has been, it seemed like that would be the most logical continuation of things. Larian isn't the only studio to leave behind a wildly successful game either; Nintendo has confirmed The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also won't get any expansions.

Those might seem like baffling decisions, both from a business perspective and from the point of view of an eager player who just wants more of a thing they love. But they become a lot more understandable when you learn to view these games as complete works, appreciate the post-launch support that has happened for a game like Baldur's Gate 3, and turn that excitement toward whatever is coming next from these developers.
A complete work
Vincke explained to IGN that Larian had actually started to do some preliminary work on Baldur's Gate 3 DLC but that the constraints of working within D&D 5th edition meant that work "wasn't really coming from the heart" and that the team's passion lied with two other projects Larian wanted to make. As a result, leadership at Larian made the decision not to work on a massive expansion or sequel to Baldur's Gate 3 for the time being, and Vincke claims the studio was "elated" by that decision. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma offered a similar sentiment when he revealed Tears of the Kingdom wasn't getting DLC, explaining that "we feel like we have already fully explored and exhausted the gameplay possibilities in this world" and that "the next [Zelda] game will offer a completely new experience."

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