Skip to main content

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.
Larian Studios

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.

Many players have called for official mod support since the game was in early access, but it became more important after a hotfix in February broke a lot of mods. In response, director of publishing Michael Douse said on X (formerly Twitter) that the team had been working on a toolkit for a while, but that it still needed some work. While the toolkit was set to launch in Patch 7, the post makes it official.

But Baldur’s Gate 3 patches always pack multiple updates. Patch 7 is also introducing a dynamic split-screen mode that allows players in co-op to explore farther away without having to be confined to the same screen. The game will activate split-screen if you’re far enough away from your fellow player, and will merge back into regular mode when you’re close together.

Larian has also added new cinematics for evil endings. While it won’t go into specifics, it did post a couple of teasers on the Steam page for you to theorize about. Similarly, there are improvements and bug fixes for Dark Urge players. And if you want a challenge, even more enemies have Legendary Actions (because permadeath wasn’t bad enough).

Finally, there will be improvements to dialogue and cinematics for basically every Origin character. For example, Astarion lovers will now be treated to better facial animations in kissing scenes.

Players can check out the updates in progress starting on July 22 when Patch 7 is added to the closed beta. You can register for the beta on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Steam page.

Larian promises in the announcement that Patch 7 won’t be the final update. It still wants to add crossplay and a photo mode before moving completely onto Baldur’s Gate 4 and other projects.

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
Staff picks: How Baldur’s Gate 3 beat the odds to become our 2023 Game of the Year
Baldur's Gate 3's Karlach appears on an image that says Game of the Year 2023.

When I first started playing Baldur’s Gate 3, I was immediately hooked by its engrossing (and gross) story, meaty CRPG systems, and the most personable cast of companions I’ve seen in the genre in quite some time. I knew I was about to sink months of my life into the 100-hour adventure. Things didn’t go according to plan.

The nature of my job meant that I had to move on to Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon at the height of my obsession. Though I wouldn’t have much time to put in long play sessions, I resolved to pick away at it throughout the year on Steam Deck. It was a critical error on my part, as I’d quickly learn that the enormous RPG is perhaps the worst commute game on the planet. It felt like I could barely accomplish anything in 30 minutes. Long, turn-based battles would often take up an entire train ride and sometimes I’d simply lose any progress I made to an untimely death. I grew frustrated, wondering why I was having so much trouble finding my way back to a game I loved.

Read more
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.

Read more
One of the best games of the year is finally coming to Xbox next month
Minthara in Baldur's Gate 3.

Larian Studios confirmed that the Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 will still be coming out this year by announcing its December release window.

"Xbox players, we hear you’re looking for more news on Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is on track for a December release," Larian Studios stated on X (formerly Twitter). There's no specific release date yet, but Larian's tweet reveals when we'll learn more. "We’ll see you at The Game Awards for the World Premiere of the exact release date," the developer teased. Geoff Keighley's video game award show takes place every December and is always full of announcements in addition to awards. The show is shaping up to be a big one for Baldur's Gate 3, as it's nominated in nine categories -- including Game of the Year and Best RPG -- and will have its December release date revealed there.

Read more