Baldur's Gate 3 Hotfix 3 update released: Here are the patch notes

Baldur's Gate 3
(Image credit: Larian Studios)

What you need to know

  • Larian Studios has released a third major hotfix for its hit new RPG, Baldur's Gate 3.
  • The update includes over 200 fixes for various bugs and issues, as well as a few gameplay tweaks.
  • Notably, the patch makes it so that Scratch the dog can search for spots to dig on his own. Previously, you had to order him to do it.
  • Players can report bugs through Larian's support page, which we've linked in the text below.

Just a few days after Larian Studios released its second major hotfix for Baldur's Gate 3, the developer has pushed a third one live. The update is available to download now on the Windows PC version of the game. Notably, Larian has confirmed that these fixes, along with the ones from previous hotfixes, will be rolled into the version of the massive fantasy RPG that's coming to PS5 on September 6.

In total, Hotfix #3 resolves over 200 bugs and issues while also fixing and improving a few gameplay elements. The most notable tweak is the ability for Scratch the dog to sniff around for digging spots automatically, helping you find useful buried items. Before, he'd only do it if you ordered him to.

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

Larian has also decided to give all players the Blue Behir skin for their dice. The Baldur's Gate 3 community has been trying to figure out how to unlock the light blue dice appearance ever since the game released since some players had access to it and others didn't, but according to the developer, it sounds like it was intended to be a post-launch addition since "lucky players may have gotten hold of it early."

For the full Hotfix #3 patch notes, make sure you check out the section below. Note that there are story spoilers in them, so read carefully if you want to avoid those. For your convenience, we've clearly marked every patch note that has a spoiler in it. If you have bugs, glitches, or other issues to report, Larian is directing players to its support page.

Baldur's Gate 3 | See at GOG

Baldur's Gate 3 | See at GOG

Enter the Forgotten Realms while playing as a customized character of your own choosing. The decisions you make determine what you encounter as you discover more and more about the stories and world around you. 

Baldur's Gate 3: Hotfix #3 patch notes

Here are the Hotfix #3 patch notes, taken directly from Larian's Steam post.

Crashes and Blockers

  • Fixed an issue with spell slots that would prevent you from levelling up while multiclassing.
  • Fixed an edge case issue preventing you from initiating a Long Rest.
  • Fixed a cross-save issue causing you to get stuck syncing indefinitely, which prevented saving and loading.
  • Fixed a crash that would occur when selecting a summon without a hotbar while a deck in the hotbar was maximised.

Multiplayer

  • Fixed the Hireling UI from being split in half on each monitor in splitscreen.
  • Fixed some visual artefacts appearing on split-screen when using Vulkan.
  • Wyll now correctly recognises and confronts Karlach when you speak to him with a Karlach avatar after another avatar has already spoken to him.

Combat

  • Spoiler: Fixed the cultists in the Temple of Bhaal reacting strangely to Wild Shaped characters in combat.
  • The guards in the Counting House will now continue pursuing you through the vault room.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the camera not working correctly in combat with Ansur.
  • Fixed a bug that would let you use the Hide action outside of your turn in combat.
  • Increased Isobel's AC to restore the intended balance.
  • Increased Glitterbeard's HP and Dexterity and gave him the Shield spell.
  • Spoiler: If you deal damage to certain Bhaalist lackeys in the Sewers, they will now lose their Unstoppable condition.
  • Spoiler: Fixed Haarlep going to the Ethereal Plane on the killing blow and then coming back again.
  • Added the NPCs in the drider's convoy to the same combat group.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the hag having her illusions occasionally spawn on top of an explosive mine.
  • Fixed an issue where gnolls took too much time to react during the start of their turn after their pack leader attacked them.

Character Creation

  • Fixed mismatches between colours in Character Creation and in game, mainly affecting horns.

Audio

  • When things go south in Crèche Y'llek, the music now goes from mellow to metal.

Gameplay

  • Fixed an issue preventing you from talking to Withers in Act 3.
  • Companions can now also trigger various tutorial pop-ups.
  • Scratch can now find digging spots by himself.
  • Fixed a hatch in the Emerald Grove not unlocking after a successful check.
  • The Devil's in the Details achievement can now be achieved by all party members, including followers.
  • Fixed an issue with crimes that meant you wouldn't get caught committing a crime if another party member had already committed a more severe crime and resolved it peacefully.
  • You now consistently get the Bloodless condition the morning after Astarion bites you.
  • Fixed a bug allowing you to spam party members' voiced lines near the log where you can recruit Karlach.
  • Wyll no longer says you should find and slay Karlach after you've recruited her.
  • If Jatlo is still disguised after the shadow curse has been lifted, he will now drop his disguise when attacked.
  • Made sure Youth Vis'kiir looks like he's cleaning before you talk to him in Crèche Y'llek.
  • Fixed the hatchery and infirmary map markers in Crèche Y'llek.
  • Spoiler: Lae'zel will no longer permanently leave the party if you refuse to follow through with Vlaakith's orders.
  • Spoiler: Fixed a bug preventing you from using the planecaster in Crèche Y'llek.
  • Removed ownership from the portraits of Lohse and Sebille so that taking them is not a crime.
  • Increased the bounds of the Inquisitor's room in Crèche Y'llek so that the game doesn't think you've left if you enter one of the side rooms.
  • When playing as Shadowheart, telling Astarion about your affiliation with Shar now affects his approval rating.
  • Astarion will now be better at remembering whether you've seen his back.
  • You can no longer loot the items belonging to the Inquisitor in Crèche Y'llek without consequence.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the range indicators on the orthon's quickly ticking mines.
  • Spoiler: The dialogue that follows combat with Cazador will now trigger correctly even if you interact with a certain sarcophagus during combat.
  • Alfira's lute is no longer invisible while she plays it at camp.
  • Fixed the explosion VFX for the toy chest in the barn in Wyrm's Crossing.
    Added a proper name to a note in Sharess' Caress.
  • Spoiler: Carion will now resurrect with full health instead of 0 HP, and you can now reach his jars.
  • Interacting with certain rune slates on the nautiloid now correctly triggers the narrator's line.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the alarm in the Counting House going off when it shouldn't.
  • Spoiler: Orin will now react to Wild Shaped characters in the Temple of Bhaal.
  • Spoiler: Added a world label to Orin's body so she's easier to find.
  • Removed duplicated furniture in the Elfsong Tavern.
  • Made a door in the Elfsong Tavern indestructible.
  • Fixed edge cases where characters would not correctly attach to the game grid, causing knock-on issues.

Journal

  • Fixed the journal not updating after you meet the pale individuals at Fraygo's Flophouse.
  • The journal now updates correctly for the Rescue the Trapped Man quest.
  • Dame Guisarme now reacts more accurately to your progress in the Investigate the Murders quest.
  • Fixed an inaccurate line in the Help the Hag Survivors quest.
  • Fixed a misleading journal update in the Find the Mushroom Picker quest.
  • Updated Wyll's map marker to make a quest objective more precise.
  • Made it easier to resolve the Wake Up Art Cullagh quest if you follow up with Art.
  • Fixed a confusing map marker and added an extra step for clarity in the Find the Nightsong quest.
  • Improved the journal entry flow for the Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders quest.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the Investigate Cazador's Palace quest not completing if you help Astarion finish what Cazador started.

Flow and Scripting

  • Spoiler: Fixed Shadowheart's dialogue on the nautiloid playing twice when playing as Avatar Lae'zel.
  • Removed a dialogue option that's no longer relevant when talking to Karlach.
  • Spoiler: Made sure you get Astarion's bitey scene at camp if you discover his secret through other means.
  • Fixed Astarion mentioning things that haven't happened yet if you romance him early on.
  • Fixed Avatar Gale's hunger not progressing if doesn't meet Tara before leaving the nautiloid crash site.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented Brakkal from triggering the correct dialogue when he's being released if his goblin guards left with Minthara for the raid.
  • Minthara now reacts more appropriately if you kill all the tieflings.
  • Removed unnecessary VFX in a dialogue with Raphael at Last Light.
  • Fixed Glut saying the wrong line when he reanimates a spore servant.
  • Made the dialogue options with Therezzyn more relevant if you've already been to the hatchery.
  • Spoiler: Fixed a bug causing the wrong dialogue to play when speaking to the Reconstituted Duellist if you haven't met him before.
  • Fixed the same dialogue option appearing twice when interacting with the Mirror of Loss.
  • Kled will now play the correct dialogues in Old Garlow's Place.
  • Made sure Lakrissa and Alfira don't appear in the Elfsong Tavern if you didn't save them.
  • Fixed the same dialogue option appearing twice when interacting with the Mirror of Loss.
  • Kled will now play the correct dialogues in Old Garlow's Place.
  • Made sure Lakrissa and Alfira don't appear in the Elfsong Tavern if you didn't save them.
  • Spoiler: Fixed a line about Lorroakan appearing in a dialogue at camp if you haven't met him yet.
  • Spoiler: You can no longer ask Isobel the same question about Ketheric on two separate occasions.
  • Fixed some wrong lines playing when you reach a late stage of the game.
  • Fixed Toobin thinking you have a runepowder bomb when you don't.
  • Spoiler: Mizora no longer disappears from the game after you resolve the Iron Throne situation.
  • Spoiler: After Mizora pops up at the Iron Throne, she will now be back at camp instead of disappearing.
  • Spoiler: Wyll no longer talks about his father as if he's not there anymore if his father was saved.
  • Fixed Havkelaag accepting the gith egg via dialogue when he doesn't have enough gold for it, and made it impossible to pickpocket back if you sold it to him.
  • Korrilla is now better at recognising how you responded to Raphael's deal.
  • Swapped two couples in the Elfsong Tavern so that they sit at the right tables.
  • Fixed Jaheira becoming a follower in Moonrise even if the conditions weren't met, which could cause other issues with Jaheira's flow.
  • Fixed Jaheira not returning to her human form once she leaves your party.
  • Spoiler: If Cazador's bats are too far from the player to join combat, they will now join anyway.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the dialogue skill checks if you die in combat with the honour guard and are revived by the Emperor in Wyrm's Lookout.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the AI taking control of Lae'zel and kicking you out of a multiplayer game, with Lae'zel becoming hostile towards the remaining player if they chose to betray Vlaakith and Inquisitor W'wargaz.
  • Spoiler: Improved Halsin's reactivity to whether or not you've been to Grymforge.
  • Fixed some incorrect options showing up in dialogue with Halsin about a particular drow couple.
  • Spoiler: Fixed Orin assuming you ate a particular morsel, even if you didn't.
  • Spoiler: Fixed a blocker preventing Nightsong from going to Ramazith's Tower, and other issues related to her appearing in the wrong place or not appearing at all.

UI

  • Made Blue Behir Dice permanently available on all platforms with just the base game.
  • Fixed the UI seemingly disappearing because the game thinks a character is still in a dialogue, which could happen when going into a dialogue in the middle of combat.
  • Fixed the Attack button disappearing from the dialogue UI after loading a savegame made during a dialogue.

Cinematics

  • Made sure that you get a certain dialogue with Voss at camp.
  • Fixed a repeating dialogue when talking to Gale while Wild Shaped.
  • Fixed Astarion repeating information about his master if you speak to him twice in a row.
  • Fixed Astarion oversharing about his master a little too early.
  • Fixed a leg twitch in a conversation between Shadowheart and a certain dame.
  • Moved the Dark Urge to a different pod on the nautiloid to prevent the wrong dialogue from playing.
  • Fixed Astarion's knife not being held against dragonborn throats correctly during his recruitment dialogue at the beach.
  • Made general improvements to a dialogue at camp with Astarion.
  • Added a missing animation for Karlach in Astarion's recruitment dialogue.
  • Gale's head now rests correctly on his bedroll pillow.
  • Cleaned up pops and mocap issues in the dialogue where Gale teaches you a spell.
  • Fixed Gale's arms clipping with his thigh.
  • Fixed where characters are looking and facing in the dialogue where Gale reveals his history.
  • Fixed Wyll's head jitters and strange turns during his recruitment dialogue.
  • Made general improvements to cameras, facial reactions, and movements in a dialogue at camp with Wyll.
  • Cleaned up the mocap in the scene where Lae'zel is suspended in a cage.
  • Tall characters' hands no longer clip with their face when interacting with Karlach in a romantic moment.
  • Adjusted Edowin's pose in the dialogue with him and his siblings in the forest.
  • Fixed a corpse in the Goblin Camp from standing back up when you use Speak with Dead on it.
  • Tweaked the cameras and facial expressions in the dialogue with Halsin during the celebration at camp.
  • Fixed clipping with a statue in a camp dialogue at night with Gale.
  • Fixed animation issues if you turn down Gale in the dialogue where he teaches you a spell.
  • Adjusted some hand positions when interacting with the console on the nautiloid.
  • Shadowheart is now sitting in a better pose when fiddling with her mysterious artefact during her camp scene.
  • Fixed emotions and facial expressions in dialogues with Shadowheart, Omotola, and Minthara.
  • Fixed a camera shot when talking to the mind flayer on the beach.
  • Fixed an irrelevant line playing in a camp dialogue with Shadowheart.
  • Fixed dragonborn players turning in the wrong direction after Astarion's bitey scene at camp.
  • Fixed Roland and Lia looking in the wrong direction in their dialogue in the Emerald Grove.
  • Fixed a camera issue in a dialogue with Silfy in the Emerald Grove.
  • Fixed characters' legs clipping into the ground when looking through the telescope in the Emerald Grove.
  • Fixed some mocap-related pops in a dialogue with Cerys in the Emerald Grove.
  • Fixed a pop for one of the ogres in the Blighted Village.
  • Fixed some camera issues and removed a ring from the background in the dialogue where Crusher asks you to kiss his foot.
  • Improved facial expressions, camera shots and other issues in Shadowheart's recruitment dialogue at the Goblin Camp.
  • Fixed a twisting forearm in a dialogue between Lae'zel and Voss at camp.
  • Fixed characters clipping into each other when they're feeling ill at camp.
  • Characters now appear correctly in the dialogue with the bugbear in the forest. The ogre's weapon is also now hidden.
  • Fixed the camera clipping into the ground when speaking with your Dream Visitor at camp.
  • Cleaned up the animations when Sceleritas Fel tells the Dark Urge to commit a certain misdeed.
  • Fixed halflings' thumbs clipping through the Soul Coin when speaking to Nadira.
  • Made general improvements to cameras, facial expressions, and animations for a romance dialogue with Wyll.
  • Fixed some camera issues in the dialogue with Oskar in the Zhent hideout.
  • Lae'zel is no longer invisible during Shadowheart's recruitment dialogue by the Chapel.
  • Cleaned up some mocap and made general improvements in the dialogue with Glut.
  • Removed an incorrect animation during the dialogue with The Necromancy of Thay.
  • Fixed a minor clip when speaking to Sovereign Spaw in the Underdark.
  • Fixed feet not making contact with the ground when using Feather Fall to leap into the Underdark.
  • Fixed an animation issue when exchanging noblestalk with Derryth in the Underdark.
  • Fixed a head pop in the scene on the raft in the Underdark.
  • Fixed Lae'zel's crossed eyes in the dialogue with Lady Esther near Rosymorn Monastery
  • Fixed a couple of lines related to Zorru and Crèche Y'llek playing at the wrong moment.
  • Fixed the position of characters' feet to prevent clipping, and moved Lae'zel to prevent her looking the wrong way in Crèche Y'llek.
  • Added fade-ins and -outs and tweaked the facial expressions in the dialogue with Kansif in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • Hid a goblin floating in the background when talking to the drider in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • Fixed paddle hands in the scene where Harpers ambush the drider's convoy in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • Fixed the drider jittering and cameras looking the wrong way when you examine the Harpers' bodies after the ambush in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • Fixed some animations and camera issues in the dialogue with Harper Skywin in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • Fixed one of Jaheira's lines getting cut off in the dialogue with her at Last Light.
  • Fixed the timing of Marcus' wing flap animation when he flies away from Last Light.
  • Fixed a dagger appearing beneath the Strange Ox at Last Light if you use Speak with Animals on it.
  • Fixed Jaheira looking like she sinks into the ground on certain lines.
  • Fixed a barrel clipping with Thisobald Thorm's pipes.
  • Thisobald Thorm's tubes no longer twitch and twist.
  • Fixed head angles and pops in a dialogue with Araj and Astarion at Moonrise.
  • Fixed camera and character placement issues in a dialogue with Jaheira at Moonrise.
  • Fixed some camera angles in a dialogue with Araj at Moonrise.
  • Fixed the lipsyncing for a rat in the Gauntlet of Shar.
  • Spoiler: Made sure large characters don't block or clip into Shadowheart when you arrive in the Shadowfell.
  • Spoiler: Fixed clipping in a shot in the Colony with the three Chosen.
  • Spoiler: The camera will no longer try to show a shot of Minsc if he isn't present in the Temple of Bhaal.
  • Removed certain pale individuals from the background of a camp dialogue.
  • Fixed a duplicate line in dialogue with Gortash in Wyrm's Crossing.
  • Cleaned up the animations for Izzy, the girl trying to sneak into the circus.
  • Fixed hirelings clipping into whoever's talking in the dialogue with Zethino in the circus.
  • Fixed character placement and clipping issues in a camp scene at the Elfsong Tavern.
  • Cleaned up the mocap in the dialogue with Allandra Grey in the Water Queen's House.
  • Fixed the pacing of how a certain character in the House of Grief is revealed.
  • Fixed where companions and Shadowheart are looking when meeting a particular character in the House of Grief.
  • Fixed some facial expressions and camera issues in the dialogue that plays after Gortash is defeated.
  • Fixed several snaps and twitches in the dialogue with the pale individuals at Fraygo's Flophouse.
  • Improved the facial expressions and timing when talking to Lady Flux in the Guildhall.
  • Fixed an issue with where characters are looking in the dialogue with Aradin at Sorcerous Sundries.
  • Spoiler: Fixed the wrong animation being used when closing a sarcophagus in Cazador's palace.
  • Added new camera shots in a romance dialogue with Halsin and in dialogues in the Stormshore Tabernacle.
  • Spoiler: Fixed Sarevok looking like he floats upwards at the Tribunal.
  • Spoiler: Made sure the chains are no longer there after you free Valeria.
  • Spoiler: Fixed an animation to avoid clipping for halflings male when they hold the Helm of Balduran.
  • Spoiler: Fixed Orin and her victim being invisible when you enter the Temple of Bhaal.
  • Fixed Astarion jittering in a dialogue by a particular pool.
  • Made sure characters don't stay in their Wild Shape in an endgame cinematic dialogue.
  • Fixed excessive neck twisting in an endgame dialogue.
  • Fixed some mocap-related pops in an endgame dialogue with Wyll.
  • Fixed an issue in one of Karlach's final dialogues, causing it to end too early.
  • Spoiler: The Emperor is no longer missing from one of the endgame cinematics.
  • Fixed a line being cut off in a game over dialogue.
  • Fixed some issues with Wyll's mocap in an endgame dialogue.
  • Fixed pops in an endgame dialogue with Gale.
  • Fixed an issue preventing one of Karlach's final scenes from triggering and made sure she's wearing her camp clothing in romance dialogues.
  • Fixed the wrong characters appearing in a cinematic shot near the end of the game.
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Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).