Are you ready to embrace evil? Do you yearn to see the consequences of unleashing your inner jerk?
Great! Because Patch 7 releases on PC, today! And with it come new evil ending cinematics, along with Honour Mode improvements and new Legendary Actions, split screen improvements, a new way to mod your game, and a whole bunch of gameplay improvements and bug fixes.
Mac and console players, this is one of those patches that is so packed with changes and new features - including official modding support for all platforms - that it’s going to take a little longer to get this patch through all the necessary technical checks and requirements and into your hands. Although later than we originally expected, Patch 7 is headed to console and Mac in October, and we will keep you updated with our progress!
Unfortunately, this does mean that console players will not be able to load cross-saves if they come from Patch 7 on PC - and multiplayer between PC and Mac will not be possible. We are still working on bringing crossplay to Baldur’s Gate 3, and like Patch 7, this requires a lot of work and testing before we're prepared to release it into the wild.
We’ve still got a few more patches up our sleeve for Baldur’s Gate 3 - which will include both crossplay and photo mode, alongside other fixes and updates. But eventually all stories must come to an end. As Swen said during last week’s PAX West panel in Seattle - our final live panel for Baldur’s Gate 3 - it’s time for the team to go back to our cave and hang the armour on the wall while we focus on bringing you our next project.
In case you missed it, you can catch up on the panel here for a fond look-back at the making of Baldur’s Gate 3, as well as answers to some of your most infernally burning questions.
Patch 7 is certainly a big ‘un, and we’ve been busy tackling feedback and game bugs thanks to the help of mod authors who’ve been testing and populating the modding hub, as well as players who have been sharing their experience with Patch 7 during the Closed Beta. Thank you to all of you who had the opportunity to take part. The playtest has now ended and we’ll be taking this experience and carrying learnings from it into the future!
Patch 7 is approximately 11.6GB on PC, and will require 160GB of free space to install. If you find yourself without the space to install the update, we recommend uninstalling Baldur’s Gate 3 and then re-downloading the patched version!
As with any patch, some third-party mods may still become incompatible after our latest update. Please try uninstalling your mods and confirm whether the issue persists without them installed. If you continue to have issues after uninstalling all mods, do reach out to our support team. Please also remember to be patient with mod authors as they make any relevant adjustments to their mods!
We know many third-party mods utilise Script Extender, and as part of the Toolkit and patch testing with mod authors, efforts to help support compatibility with Patch 7 should mean that mods that require Script Extender will continue to work.
A big thank you to Norbyte, creator of Script Extender, and to all of the mod authors who have contributed to the Toolkit with their feedback! We couldn’t have done it without you.
And with that, let’s take a look at this thing!
Does Corruption Call Your Name?
The Sword Coast is yours to command, to rule like no other.
Whether you embraced absolute power, carried out your father’s will, played as an Origin character or were generally a menace to society, you’ll find Patch 7 now introduces 13 new cinematics that offer varying conclusions to your most evil playthroughs.
If you’re a streamer who is very demure, very mindful, and you use the 'Show Cinematic Nudity' option in the game's settings, it’s worth noting that we’ve now renamed this option to 'Show Sexual and Violent Cinematics' and updated its description to more accurately indicate what it does. This setting toggles explicit content plus a few select moments of extreme violence that may be distressing to some. We might have also embraced corruption a little too much because the new evil ending cinematics have been included in this setting. They really are that evil.
This setting does not affect your adventure, your choices, or your access to romance options; however, it does block sexual content with nudity and particularly violent scenes with gore.
Well, she got her dragon. But at what cost?
Whether you’re starting a new game or loading an old save to relive your battle with the Netherbrain, you’ll get to see these new cinematics depending on the choices you make.
It’s a One-Night Kinda Thing
We remember clearly stating in Community Update #28 that if you are playing as the Dark Urge, a certain bard would now be able to join the party as a controllable character at camp if there’s an empty slot, TEMPORARILY.
It would seem some of you didn’t pick up what we were putting down.
There are no new companions. There is only death.
The day the music died.
New Honour Mode Legendary Actions
To add to the nightmare fuel, we’ve also made some improvements to Honour Mode combat, like giving Malus Thorm a new Legendary Action called Grasping Appendage. Gross.
A New Way to Mod Baldur’s Gate 3
We’re also bringing you another way to mod your Baldur’s Gate 3 saves, with Patch 7 introducing our very own in-game Mod Manager and modding Toolkit, which can be downloaded on Steam for PC players!
With this new and supported way to create and install mods, you should see improvements in compatibility and accessibility, and can rest more assured that your supported mods work wherever you’re playing Baldur's Gate 3, which will include consoles a little down the line.
In-Game Mod Manager
Browse Baldur’s Gate 3 mods straight from the game!
Mods that are created and uploaded via our Toolkit can be browsed and installed directly from the game itself.
Enable or disable mods from the Installed tab.
Manage your mods for multiplayer parties by ensuring you have the same mods installed and enabled.
View and manage your installed mods.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit
Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit - Project Selection.
The Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit is a separate application on the Steam store that you can download for free that allows you to create mods specifically for Baldur’s Gate 3.
Scripting Changes using Osiris.
Baldur’s Gate 3 will also now officially support some scripted mods using Osiris, our in-house scripting language. This means mod authors will be able to reload their own scripts, handle build errors, and also carry out basic debugging.
Publish a mod straight from the Toolkit!
Whether you want to mod Baldur’s Gate 3 with supported or third-party mods and mod managers - you’ll always have that choice, but if you would like to give our Toolkit a go and try your hand at making a mod with our very own tools, head on over to your Library and select the option to view Tools. If you own Baldur's Gate 3 you should have the Baldur's Gate 3 Toolkit automatically added to your Library.
To download the Toolkit and the Data DLC necessary for mod creation, you’ll need to make sure that DLC is enabled through the Baldur’s Gate 3 store page, and check that ‘Tools’ is checked in your Steam Library to make the application visible once installed!
You can do this by:
- Going to your Steam Library
- Right-clicking on Baldur’s Gate 3
- Selecting properties, then DLC
- In the Install column, check that Toolkit Data DLC is checked
To make sure Tools is selected as showing, use the dropdown navigation above your Library search bar.
Getting Started With Modding
To help you get set up with supported mods, we’ll be posting a Community Update in the not-so-distant future that’ll go into some more detail on both creating and using supported mods, so make sure to keep an eye out!
In the meantime, we’ve prepared some further guides to help kickstart your modding adventure:
- Modding Guidelines - to help you understand what kind of content you can upload!
- Getting Started - your go-to place for navigating our guides on creating mods.
- Creating a New Mod - how to launch the Toolkit and start planning your creations.
- Browse Mods Online - either in-game, or on our website!
For more helpful information on creating your own mods, don’t forget to refer back to the Getting Started guide!
As Swen also mentioned during the panel at PAX, we want to spotlight your creations on our new YouTube channel, Larian: Channel From Hell, so make sure to keep an eye out for regular mod features, and if you’d like to find out more or get involved, join the Larian Studios Discord server!
Bug Fixing & Gameplay Improvements
While Patch 7 brings a deluge of new features, improvements, and more, it’s also delivering plenty of bug fixes!
Once again, these patch notes turned out to be too long for Steam, so please head over to the main Baldur's Gate 3 website to read the full patch notes!
Take a look at some of the highlights:
HIGHLIGHTS
- Introducing 'Evil Endings': Brand new cinematic endings for the truly villainous playthroughs.
- Added our very own Mod Manager, which lets you browse, install, and use mods created by the community.
- Revamped split screen gameplay: When playing on split screen, the two halves of the screen will now dynamically merge together when player characters come close to each other in-game, and dynamically split back up when the characters move apart. This revamp comes alongside many other improvements and polishes to improve the overall split screen experience.
Honour Mode Combat
- If Dror Ragzlin finds himself inside the spider pit, he'll try his best to befriend the spiders residing there with a new spell called Arachnid Compulsion so they can band together to fight the real enemy - you.
- The Bulette has a new condition called Diamond Scales and a new Legendary Action called Shredding Scales.
- Malus Thorm has a new Legendary Action called Grasping Appendage.
- Added a new aura and spell for Spectators: Panicked Sentinel and Ocular Nightmare, respectively.
- Ch'r'ai Tska'an, the leader of the githyanki ambush in Act II, has a new Legendary Action called Soul Sacrifice.
- Ch'r'ai Har'rak, the githyanki leader at the Knights of the Shield Hideout, has a new Legendary Action called Tu'narath's Embrace.
- Ptaris has a new Legendary Action called Ptarian Dogma.
UI
- Updated the Reactions UI so that you only have to toggle the Reactions you want to use and then confirm them. (This saves you from having to select 'Do not react' multiple times!)
- Added a new Equipment Options menu to the Character Sheet on controller.
- The panel that opens to 'Donate' magic items to Gale will now also show items in your Traveller's Chest. It also now indicates which items are currently equipped.
- We noticed some of you hiccoughing bubbles, so the action for washing yourself with soap and sponges is now called 'Use' instead of 'Consume'.
- Fixed your player character's name getting reverted to 'Custom' during Character Creation if you moved on to create your Dream Guardian and then went back to edit the player character again.
- Fixed the wrong spell Ability showing up when selecting a Feat during Level Up.
Art
- Added a new loading screen in Act III, showing the busy streets of Baldur's Gate.
- Fixed the skirt part of the Adamantine Splint Armour missing for female dwarves.
- Fixed the Adamantine Scale Mail clipping on large male characters.
Gameplay
- You can now start Custom Mode games using Honour Mode mechanics when starting a new playthrough. You'll be able to do this via the 'Ruleset' dropdown.
- The kuo-toa that promised to build you an army will now support you in the final battle. Unless they all died in Act I.
- The help that the Gondians promised for the final battle will now arrive in the form of a friendly Steel Watcher. Apologies from Zanner Toobin for the delay.
- The hair colour options in Character Creation will now remain accessible after you choose the bald hairstyle, so that you can continue fiddling around with eyebrow colours.
- Overhead dialogues that support multiple player characters can now involve characters assigned to different players. (They were limited to characters controlled by a single player until now.) This means that there will be more banter among player characters in multiplayer games.
- Group Hide will no longer affect summons that aren't linked to the group in the Party Line.
- Changed the behaviour for selecting camp supplies for a Long Rest. When selecting camp supplies that are stacked, the game now only takes what it needs from the stack.
- You can no longer cheese the Leap of Faith trial at the Gauntlet of Shar by just clicking the final platform and letting your character pathfind their way there. Shar threatened to smite us if we didn't fix this one.
- Fixed a bug where resurrecting Lae'zel on the beach in Act I would cause her to appear in the Party Line but not in the world, preventing you from leaving Act I.
- Patched up some savegames where Gale still had his Necrotic Aura when he shouldn't on load.
- Fixed Minthara's body sometimes turning invisible on the Level Up screen. (We sorta liked the floating-head-and-hands look, but hey.)
Animation
- Astarion now has idle animations at camp that aren't just him reading a book.
- Added a new idle animation for Minsc at camp - Boo may or may not have taught him some tai chi.
- Karlach will no longer brush the shaved side of her head.
- Polished the appearance of neck kisses in lovey-dovey scenes with Shadowheart on the Sharran path for characters with large body types and dragonborn characters.
Writing and Flow
- Dotted some dialogue options and voiced lines into a handful of dialogues across the game, particularly to account for edge-case flows. These changes are described in more detail in the main patch notes below.
- Added three new Narrator lines for Dark Urge characters to add a bit more reactivity across the game. These additions are described in more detail in the main patch notes below.
- Resolved an issue that had been rendering some romance party banters inaccessible while adventuring.
- Fixed a flow issue where Avatar Lae'zel did not have the option to [spoiler]leave and ascend or stay on Faerûn after the Netherbrain is defeated[/spoiler].
- Added a dialogue option asking for a kiss in more paths of Wyll's epilogue dialogue.
- If you're in holographic form in the epilogue, Wyll won't automatically assume he's talking to Lae'zel.
- A bug that had been preventing Wyll’s romance greeting from triggering has now been fixed, so players in Act III who have a stable, loving, and committed relationship with Wyll will now see his romance greeting triggering correctly.
- Fixed priorities on Wyll’s greetings so that low approval greetings will now trigger accordingly for players with low approval.
- Companions should now be more sympathetic to Astarion fleeing from the sun.
- Added a new dialogue in which Karlach will react to Dammon if she finds him dead after he told her that he can help her.
- In Act II, Minthara will now react to you having knocked her out in Act I.
Scripting
- Fixed several issues (related to resurrecting characters via Withers, restructuring the party at night, and automatic camp night scenes) that would trap you in an eternal slumber, unable to end a Long Rest.
- Fixed a bug causing Shadowheart to keep repeating one line when you talk to her after she's resurrected by Withers from the Shadowfell.
- Fixed a small flow issue preventing you from commenting on Gale's last name.
- Fixed several occurrences of Wyll still having an exclamation mark above his head when he already told you everything he had to say.
- When playing as the Dark Urge, Minthara will no longer act as though you accepted Bhaal when [spoiler]you've been stripped of his influence.[/spoiler]
- Fixed a broken kissing scene after you gave Shadowheart the Idol of Shar.
- Fixed an issue where Jaheira would stop following the party after spending a night outside of the party.
- Fixed the rune tablets on the nautiloid sometimes not triggering the Narrator's lines.
- Clerics of Lathander should now recognise his symbol on a Lathanderian amulet.
- Ensured the avatar is prioritised as the main speaker in dialogues related to the hag's Act I surrender.
- Minthara does, in fact, now have something to say about [spoiler]Orin[/spoiler] after you kill her.
- Made the romance scene at night with Wyll in Act III unskippable if it triggers to avoid accidentally skipping it and not being able to finish the romance arc.
- If Avatar Karlach and Wyll are partners and go to [spoiler]the Hells[/spoiler] together, he'll now act accordingly during the epilogue.
- Fixed Karlach's scene [spoiler]in Avernus[/spoiler] not playing if you decided to go with her when playing as Wyll.
- A bug has been fixed so that Wyll will now talk to his father if [spoiler]Ansur is defeated[/spoiler] after the pact with Mizora is broken but Ravengard is saved from [spoiler]the Iron Throne[/spoiler] despite this, to decide on his title.
- Lae'zel will now wait a little longer for you at the site of her recruitment if you tell her you'll be back.
- Improved Lae'zel's idle camp behaviours to align a bit better with the other companions'.
- Fixed the fade-to-black after Karlach's scene [spoiler]in Avernus[/spoiler] at the end of the game, which would give you a very brief glimpse of Game Developer Land.
- Breaking up with Karlach by speaking with another companion you're dating the morning after her romance scene won't block her dialogue anymore.
- Reinstated Gale's last line in his detailed explanation of ceremorphosis and tweaked a dialogue option to react to it.
- Now that you can give Gale magic items from the Traveller's Chest, he will leave again if you refuse to do so.
- Patched up some savegames that had a bug that would prevent the dialogue between Gale and [spoiler]Mystra[/spoiler] at the end of the game from triggering.
- Fixed a bug that let you kiss Gale even if he was in a disguised form before confronting [spoiler]the Netherbrain.[/spoiler]. Also fixed this dialogue with him cutting off before you could give him a smooch.
- Reworked the script that determines whether a character is too busy to talk. This will prevent bugs like Minthara's dialogue not triggering at Moonrise Towers after you rescue her, and knock-on effects as a result of this, like not being able to rest or fast travel.
Performance
- Continued to make performance and stability optimisations across the game and implemented many under-the-hood code fixes.
- Optimised performance. This will have a more noticeable impact in areas with large numbers of NPCs (like the Lower City) and will reduce peak memory usage when loading levels for the first time. It will also be noticeable when managing lots of loot (e.g. when transferring everything from a camp chest to a character's inventory).
Cinematics
- Reworked and revamped the cutscene that plays when you interact with [spoiler]Ansur's bones in the Wyrmway.[/spoiler]
- Polished facial expressions and emotions across companion dialogues, including to the facial animations of your character during some kissing cinematics, including with the [spoiler]Vampire Lord[/spoiler] Astarion.
(Continue reading the FULL Patch Notes here!)
