Baldur’s Gate 3′s third patch in just two months has been released, and it packs quite a punch. The two standout additions, which were already known but deserve highlighting, are the game’s newfound compatibility with Mac systems and the introduction of a magical mirror in your camp, allowing players to customize their character’s appearance.
However, staying true to their thorough approach, Larian Studios has not stopped there. The patch notes are extensive, covering a wide range of bug fixes, combat adjustments, writing revisions, and more. The sheer volume of changes is substantial enough to challenge the Steam page’s capacity.
It’s practically impossible for me to provide a timely summary of everything on this extensive list. Out of curiosity, I’ve compiled the entire patch into a Word document, and it’s a staggering 23,000 words long—equivalent to half a small novel. The patch encompasses a wide range of improvements, including fixes to cinematics, combat bugs, VFX enhancements, UI adjustments, animations, level design refinements, art asset enhancements, and much more. It’s essentially an overhaul of the entire game. And remarkably, they’ve accomplished all of this within just two months.
One standout quality of life improvement caught my attention: “NPCs will no longer run away from anything but the Dark Urge Slayer form to improve interactivity and flow.” While I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, it appears to address the issue of NPCs running away from player-controlled pets, whether they’re furry or skeletal, often leading to their demise. This change is a significant boon, as players had resorted to mods to rectify this problem in the past.
The latest patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t just bring sweeping changes but also addresses specific story elements. Notably, Gale’s romance has been toned down once more by increasing the “approval threshold,” requiring players to put in more effort to win his affection. Additionally, there’s a curious mention that “Shadowheart will now remember if you broke up with her,” hinting at an intriguing twist in her character development.
With so many fixes to delve into, here are some of the highlights from the patch:
- “Fixed Shadowheart going blonde when equipping a hat.”
- “Fixed a bug where companions temporarily leaving the party (e.g., being sent to prison) would forget their partnership history and act unusually cold towards you.”
- “The Narrator no longer thinks you’re a mind flayer when you’re not.”
- “During your date with Karlach, Tender Henk will no longer walk away to reveal another Tender Henk standing behind him. Staring.”
- “Summoned zombies and skeletons will no longer be able to pick up loot and disappear with it when dismissed.”
- “Fixed some small holes in Act I that weren’t letting tiny characters through them.”
- “Added some missing Boo squeaks.”
- “Gale’s Netherese Orb Blast can no longer be Counterspelled.” (Author’s note: A surprising revelation!)
- “The camp statue of your character can no longer be disarmed.”
- “You can no longer interrupt the ogre and bugbear’s night of passion by trying to trade with them or attack them through a door.”
- “Improved the death poses of rats.”
This patch not only polishes gameplay but also adds some amusing and unexpected fixes, making it a substantial update for Baldur’s Gate 3 players. Larian Studios continues to impress with their unwavering commitment to improving Baldur’s Gate 3. Even as we move further from the game’s release, Patch 3’s extensive nature dispels any concerns of a smaller update. It seems Larian has no intention of slowing down, and I eagerly await the day when their patch notes are concise enough for easy summarization.
