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

By Tomas Franzese 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.

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Gaming Staff Writer

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Computing

How a MacBook Pro sneakily got me back into PC gaming

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

I have fond memories of the old days of PC gaming. That is, the old days for me. Games like Starcraft and Elder Scrolls: Morrowind had a big impact -- but honestly, it's remembering the endless hours of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn that ring my nostalgia bell the loudest.

But somewhere along the way, I more or less retired from regular gaming. Between reaching my mid-30s, getting some new hobbies, being married, buying a house, and having kids, I wasn't finding a lot of time or energy for the old pastime. It sounds stereotypical, I know, but its sadly true.

Gaming

The Game Awards 2023: how to watch and what to expect

Key art for The Game Awards 2023.

Ten years ago, Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards began, and it's once again returning later today to celebreate the hard work of developers in one of the best years for quality video games ever. Plus, it will feature trailers for games coming out soon and reveal some titles we haven't heard about before. We know all the category nominees now, so you might wonder where and when you'll need to tune in to get the full The Game Awards 2023 experience later today. We've rounded up all that information right here so you can set aside time to watch and set your expectations for The Game Awards 2023.
When is The Game Awards 2023
The Game Awards 2023 starts with a 30-minute pre-show at 4:30 p.m. PT today, December 7. The main show is then expected to begin at around 5:00 p.m. PT. The Game Awards tend to last anywhere from three to four hours, depending on the length of the award acceptance speech and developer conversations, which are done live. In a recent live stream, Geoff Keighley said he hopes this year's event is a bit shorter.
How to watch The Game Awards 2023
THE GAME AWARDS 2023: Official 4K Livestream (TODAY at 7:30p ET/4:30p PT/12:30a GMT)

The Game Awards 2023 will be streaming on lots of platforms today. Official channels will host the event livestream for free across YouTube, Twitch, X, Facebook, Steam, TikTok, Instagram, and even Kick. We've embedded the YouTube version of the livestream above so you can watch it right from this article. You can also expect co-streams and reaction streams from websites like IGN and GameSpot as well as content creators. If you can't tune in while the awards show is airing, a VOD of the event is always posted to YouTube afterward, as are individual segments and trailers. If you're in China, India, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, or Germany, alternate streaming options are also outlined on The Game Awards' website.
What to expect from The Game Awards 2023
As is typically the case with this show, The Game Awards 2023 will mix in lots of game reveals and trailers between all of the awards. When it comes to Game of the Year, we're wondering if Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will win. As for the announcements happening at the show, below is a list of every game confirmed to be at The Game Awards 2023. We'll continue to update it as more titles are teased:

Gaming

Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 adds new modes that can make the game easier or harder

Minthara in Baldur's Gate 3.

The fifth major patch for Baldur's Gate 3 just dropped. It's a literal game-changing patch, as it adds a new (extremely difficult) Honour Mode and a Custom Mode that will allow players to customize the difficulty of their adventure.

Honour Mode is essentially a hardcore version for Baldur's Gate 3. It disables save scumming, removes some exploits, increases the difficulty in combat and conversation, and implements a new Legendary Action system to the game's boss fights. Players technically only have one life to beat Honour Mode with, as they'll be presented with stats from their perilous journey and forced to disable the Honour Mode difficulty additions if they die at any point. Those who make it all the way through will get a Golden D20 in-game.