Larian Studios continues to deliver new updates for Baldur’s Gate 3. The upcoming Patch #5 addresses more bugs and technical improvements, including Astarion’s little kisses. And there may be more new features as well.
Baldur’s Gate 3, the hit CRPG based on Dungeons & Dragons, scored massive critical and financial successes for Larian Studios. And despite the many glitches and tech issues since its launch, BG 3 continues to be a gold standard in the eyes of the video game industry and players. One key factor to this perception is the commitment Larian Studios displays to providing hotfixes and patches on a regular basis.
And it looks like the developer is prepping for another big update. Larian Studios recently posted on their social media, teasing what changes Patch #5 will include.
There’s a lot coming with Patch 5. While it’s cooking, we’re preparing a community update that talks about some new features coming to Baldur’s Gate 3. 👀
— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) November 27, 2023
According to the details shared by the developer, one of the biggest changes included in Patch #5 is fixing Astarion’s little kisses. Astarion is one of the Origins characters and the one that has no qualms about amorous acts toward the player character’s romantic companion. Thus, Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have been asking for a fix to his little kisses (which sometimes look awkward).
It may seem like a trivial fix, but the story immersion and character interactions are two of the often mentioned features attributed to Baldur’s Gate 3’s success. On that note, Astarion is one of the fan-favorite companions included as an Origins character. A testament to this is Neil Newborn (Astarion’s voice actor) winning the Best Supporting Performer at the Golden Joystick Awards.
But aside from fixing Astarion’s kisses, Larian Studios promises that Update Patch #5 will resolve the slowdown players experience due to certain actions. Apparently, thievery and violence will sometimes mess with the resources allocated during gameplay, thus leading to sluggishness and loading delays.
Larian Studios also teased that they are cooking much more for Patch #5 targeted for release this week. The developers are reportedly preparing a lengthy community update that line up the specifics of the new features for Baldur’s Gate 3.
This tracks, as while Baldur’s Gate 3 is a complete game out of the box, Larian Studios has been adding new content that enhance the gameplay experience. A recent example is Patch #4, which added the ability to customize NPC hirelings as soon as they are added to the party and provided options for colorblind players.
As the much-awaited release of the Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 draws near, will Patch #5 be timed with its launch? What do you think of the hit CRPG set in the Forgotten Realms so far? What new fixes or features would you like to see? Will Baldur’s Gate 3 win the 2023 Game of the Year title at The Game Awards on December 7?
