Bad news: Baldur's Gate 3's next big patch won't be with us until September. Good news: When it does eventually arrive, it will finally let console players mod their games, getting in on the fun that PC players have had since launch.

New details on the long-awaited patch seven were unveiled by Larian today, going over what we can expect this September. The first thing that's immediately clear is that this will be the biggest patch yet, so much so that it's getting its own alpha and beta testing periods, letting select Baldur's Gate 3 players experience the new changes before anyone else.

"Coming to you this September, the next major update for Baldur’s Gate 3 will also introduce an officially sanctioned toolkit for giving Lae’zel a mullet," writes Larian. "I mean, sure, go for it. You only live once."

What the devs mean by this is that Baldur's Gate 3 will get official mod support. While mods are being made for the game already, patch seven will make it even easier, and even add a way for newcomers to add fan-made creations to their saves with ease.

Mods that get official support will be released through mod.io. Those that are made available on console will be curated by Larian and will have to meet certain guidelines. It isn't clear what these will be, but Larian warns that this will exclude "some NSFW mods" and "certain script-heavy modifications". The devs say this is to "integrity of the game’s universe," and stems from the fact that Baldur's Gate is a licenced property, not an original IP.

With that said, we can probably expect some lenience there. Larian says that only "some NSFW mods" won't make it past the guidelines, and of course, Baldur's Gate 3 itself has some very raunchy scenes. It would be a strange line in the sand for the rights holders to enforce at this point.

In any case, most of us will have to wait until September to see how this works in practice. Closed alpha testing starts today, but it's invite only. Around 1,000 PC players will be asked to help out during a beta period, and sign-ups for that will go live at a later date.

Coming to you this September, Patch 7 will introduce an official modding toolkit so you can bring your wildest ideas to life!

💬Closed Alpha Begins Today
🗓️Closed Beta - July
🛠️Modding FAQ

Read more in Community Update #27 - Official Modding Support: https://t.co/lwdOkUUUOa pic.twitter.com/EOwNFqh3gt

— Baldur's Gate 3 (@baldursgate3) June 3, 2024

Posted: Jun 08, 2024 12:04 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-patch-7-details-mods-on-console/