Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 is a party-based role-playing game by Larian Studios, built on the rules and world of Dungeons & Dragons. The story begins after an abduction by mind flayers: a larva sits in your character's head and threatens to turn them into a monster. Searching for a way out, the journey leads through the Forgotten Realms and brings together a group of very different companions.

You can create your own character or start with one of the premade Origin characters. Background, class, abilities and choices shape conversations, relationships and how many quests play out. Baldur's Gate 3 therefore relies less on one fixed solution than on a world that reacts to your actions and dice rolls.

The PC version of Baldur's Gate 3 launched in Early Access on Oct 6, 2020. The full Windows version came out on Aug 3, 2023. It was followed by the native PS5 version on Sept 6, the full macOS version on Sept 22, and the Xbox Series X|S version in December 2023.

With Patch 8, Larian released the last major content update on Apr 15, 2025. It brought cross-play, a photo mode and twelve additional subclasses, among other things. New major story content or similar expansions are no longer planned. Minor bug fixes may still follow. Since Hotfix 34 on Sept 23, 2025, the game also has a native Steam Deck build.

Baldur's Gate 3 has launched natively on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The PC version is available for Windows and macOS, plus a native Steam Deck build. There is no separate native version for PS4 or Xbox One.

Since Patch 8, players on PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S can play together via cross-play. To do this, platform accounts are linked to a Larian account. The Steam Deck build is part of the PC version and is not a separate product.

The focus is on exploration, dialogue and turn-based combat with a party of adventurers. Classes, spells, height differences and objects in the environment can be combined. Many situations can therefore be solved through combat, conversation, sneaking or unusual interactions.

The rules are based on Dungeons & Dragons. Dice rolls play a role not only in combat but also in conversations and other choices. Baldur's Gate 3 can be played solo or in co-op. On PS5 and Xbox, local split-screen for two players is possible, and online up to four people can play together. Patch 8 adds cross-platform co-op, a photo mode and one new subclass for each of the twelve playable classes.

For Windows, Larian lists at least Windows 10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-4690 or AMD FX 8350, 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 480. Recommended are, among others, a Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM and an RTX 2060 Super or Radeon RX 5700 XT. Both tiers require around 150 GB of free SSD storage.

On Mac, the official configuration requires Apple Silicon. The minimum is an M1 with 8 GB RAM, and an M1 Pro or better with 16 GB RAM is recommended. A native build for Steam Deck has been available since Sept 2025.

Since Patch 7, Baldur's Gate 3 has an official mod browser. On PC, mod creators can make and share their own content with the Baldur's Gate 3 Toolkit. Selected mods are also available on Mac and consoles, provided they have been approved for those systems.

For shared cross-play games with mods, all players must use matching mod versions.

Baldur's Gate 3 offers twelve playable classes with various specializations. Since April 2025, every class has one additional subclass. These include the Hexblade for Warlocks, the Bladesinger for Wizards and the Path of the Giant for Barbarians.

The choice affects spells, combat techniques and special abilities, among other things. Background, attributes and skills also shape what a character can do in combat and conversation.

In photo mode you can pose characters, choose facial expressions, and change the camera and image composition. Camera movement is limited during dialogue and cutscenes. Frames and more than 300 stickers are available for images.

On PC, F9 opens photo mode. On consoles, you can activate it by pressing both analog sticks at the same time or via the icon in the interface.

Baldur's Gate 3 can be played solo or online with up to four people. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S there is local split-screen. With cross-play, PC, Mac and console players can also form a party together.

If you use mods, make sure all players use matching content.