After months of making fans wait for a major new content update, Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian finally released Patch 7 earlier this week. Unfortunately, however, the big new Baldur’s Gate 3 update was only available on PC via Steam, and not on PS5, Xbox Series X|S or Mac. Larian has since confirmed that Patch 7 will have an October release date for the missing platforms. Expect it to launch at 4pm BST UK time when the update does drop, most likely in mid-October. While we don’t have an exact date, we do know what to expect from the new update, thanks to the recently released patch notes.
READ MORE: Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7 release date, time and patch notes for mega mod update
The news was announced by Larian in a blog post: “Mac and console players, this is one of those patches that is so packed with changes and new features – including official modding support for all platforms – that it’s going to take a little longer to get this patch through all the necessary technical checks and requirements and into your hands.
“Although later than we originally expected, Patch 7 is headed to console and Mac in October, and we will keep you updated with our progress!”
As you can see from the highlights below, the headline new feature is the addition of a Mod Manager tool.
The addition of a mod manager will let users browse, install and use mods created by the community, all the while ensuring compatibility with future updates.
Evil endings, on the other hand, are new cinematics for villainous playthroughs, while dynamic split-screen will make it easier to track party members up close and at a distance.
Patch 7 HIGHLIGHTS…
• Introducing ‘Evil Endings’: Brand new cinematic endings for the truly villainous playthroughs.
• Added our very own Mod Manager, which lets you browse, install, and use mods created by the community.
• Revamped split screen gameplay
– Two halves of screen will merge together when characters come close to each other in-game, and split when they move apart.
– This revamp comes alongside many other improvements and polishes to improve the overall split screen experience.
UI
• Revised and reorganised the in-game video options to be more logical and robust. You now have an Upscaling Type drop-down, an Upscaling Mode drop-down, and an Upscaling Sharpness slider, followed immediately by the options that are affected by them.
• Updated the Reactions UI so that you only have to toggle the Reactions you want to use and then confirm them. (This saves you from having to select ‘Do not react’ multiple times!)
• Added a new Equipment Options menu to the Character Sheet on controller.
Gameplay
• You can now start Custom Mode games using Honour Mode mechanics when starting a new playthrough. You’ll be able to do this via the ‘Ruleset’ dropdown.
• The kuo-toa that promised to build you an army will now support you in the final battle. Unless they all died in Act I.
• The help that the Gondians promised for the final battle will now arrive in the form of a friendly Steel Watcher. Apologies from Zanner Toobin for the delay.
• The hair colour options in Character Creation will now remain accessible after you choose the bald hairstyle, so that you can continue fiddling around with eyebrow colours.
Performance
• Continued to make performance and stability optimisations across the game and implemented many under-the-hood code fixes.
• Optimised performance.
– This will have a noticeable impact in areas with lots of NPCs and will reduce memory usage when loading levels for the first time.
– It will also be noticeable when managing lots of loot
