The biggest RPG of 2023 isn’t done stealing headlines just yet. Larian Studios ushered in the new year with the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 Hotfix #16, marking a significant update that addresses various blockers and bugs, as well as introduces numerous quality-of-life changes – whilst missing a pretty major early-game exploit. Fortunate? Unfortunate? You decide.
After an extensive Early Access phase, Baldur’s Gate 3 finally made its official debut in 2023. The Dungeons & Dragons CRPG garnered critical and sales success, along with widespread fan acclaim… which we’re pretty sure you’re aware of, unless you just crawled out from a particularly deep dungeon.
BG3’s triumph extended to The Game Awards and Steam Awards 2023, where the game clinched multiple accolades, including the prestigious Game of the Year, surpassing formidable contenders like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Alan Wake 2.
Larian Studios announced the release of Hotfix #16 for Baldur’s Gate 3 through its official social media.
Hotfix #16 is now live for Baldur's Gate 3, handling multiple bugs, issues, and blockers.
Party members hoarding trinkets? You can now access certain quest-related items on the spot – even if they’re not held by your current party!
Read more: https://t.co/lA7guBjS5t pic.twitter.com/ngBXtHOHJb
— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) January 9, 2024
In conjunction with adjustments to quest items in Baldur’s Gate 3, Hotfix 16 encompasses various enhancements, including resolutions to crashes, bug fixes, and the removal of progression blockers. Bugs big and small (mostly small) got hit by the hammer.
The cross-save functionality will no longer synchronize modded saves, and the Waypoints list now features categories that group them based on location. In addition, the endgame has undergone several quality-of-life updates.
A noteworthy improvement is the expanded accessibility of quest-related items, allowing players to retrieve them at any time, irrespective of whether the items are stored in a camp chest or within the inventory of a non-active party member.
Some fixes featured in Baldur’s Gate 3 Hotfix #16 may seem unconventional. Notably, the patch addresses an issue where a zombie assumed a T-pose when dragged from the inventory – an unusual yet intriguing detail – allowing players to store the undead in their backpacks for later use. It certainly puts a new spin on the idea of being a hoarder in the Forgotten Realms!
Another unusual inclusion with this update is the change to the cross-saves feature. Although cross-saves are still supported in Baldur’s Gate 3, Hotfix #16 introduces a restriction on transferring modded cross-saves to console platforms. This limitation arises from the fact that console versions of BG3 currently do not support mods.
One other highlight from the update is that the epilogue now includes a few extra potions of animal speaking. The rationale behind this addition is tied to player choices, as certain companion animals can make appearances during the post-game celebration if specific conditions are met.
The following are the most notable changes, fixes, and updates that comes with Hotfix #16:
Hotfix #16 Highlights
- The cross-save functionality will no longer sync modded saves, as they cannot be accessed by console players.
- Added categories to the Waypoints list, grouping Waypoints by location.
- You will now be able to access certain quest-related items on the spot, even if they are currently in the camp chest or in the inventory of a companion who is waiting at camp.
- Added a couple of potions of animal speaking to the Epilogue.
- Karlach will now get her scene in the Epilogue regardless of whether she’s an avatar or a companion.
- Wyll will now follow Karlach correctly heading to Avernus.
- Fixed the Hide Helmet option resetting for companions after saving and loading.
- Cazador now has variations of his Legendary Action depending on the number of Ritual Charges, making the Vampiric Swarm more powerful.
- Fixed several issues with low-resolution textures appearing after extended playtimes.
- Fixed a visual bug where certain doors would reappear briefly when destroyed.
- Fixed Gale’s dialogue ending abruptly when asking him for a kiss. Enjoy the moment.
Combat & Balance
- The Spectral Form passive is no longer hidden.
- Fixed Balthazar’s Spectral Form not triggering when Balthazar succeeded in a Saving Throw but still got damaged.
- Fixed Auntie Ethel not using Weird Magic Surge when struck by Repelling Blast in Honour Mode.
Gameplay
- Fixed Astarion not being available through the companion menu at camp if you sent him directly to camp during the recruitment dialogue.
- In Honour Mode, the Eggbearer condition is now also applied when the mummy owlbear is dead but the daddy owlbear is alive.
- Fixed an issue in Honour Mode where the damage from Smite spells wouldn’t trigger items that activate when damaged.
Performance & Optimization
- Fixed an issue where switching between party members would cause performance to drop.
- Fixed a texture issue in Character Creation at Low and Medium settings.
UI
- The proficiency bonuses on Explorer difficulty are now correctly accounted for in Character Creation.
- Fixed an issue causing the Level Up screen to display the incorrect HP gain when increasing Constitution.
- Fixed some instances where incorrect items would be selected when dragging them in the Trade menu.
- Fixed an issue that prevented respeccing into a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer if you chose a spell that was already available from the Draconic Bloodline.
Writing
- Wyll is now appropriately celebratory upon defeating the Netherbrain.
- Added text to the tooltip for Cazador’s Misty Escape ability on Tactician Mode.
The full list of changes can be found at the Baldur’s Gate 3 Steam Community page at this link.
However, the new hotfix does not address a recently discovered player-friendly exploit that provides an excessive amount of experience and early high-powered gear. By strategically incapacitating the devil character Raphael in Act 1 and executing a specific sequence, players can obtain the coveted Helldusk Armor and a substantial XP boost, significantly altering the game’s difficulty early on.
Of course, most BG3 players wouldn’t mind this, but it can certainly skew the balance of power, especially when playing the game’s Honour Mode. Then again, it may just be another hotfix or update patch away from being addressed.
Larian Studios’ commitment to refining Baldur’s Gate 3 post-launch is evident in this comprehensive update. As the year unfolds, the Baldur’s Gate 3 community eagerly anticipates further developments from Larian Studios. Can the now-legendary game developer keep the tempo up and snag even more awards, like at the upcoming BAFTA Game Awards layer this year?
