Get ready for Baldur’s Gate 3’s fifth major update this week! While the specifics of the patch remain a bit mysterious, fans of Astarion—who seem to be plentiful if you check TikTok and Reddit—are in for smoother kisses with fewer bugs.
Larian tweeted, “We’re set to release Patch 5 this week, addressing the persistent theft and violence-related slowdowns from the previous patch. It also irons out Astarion’s romantic moments, among other fixes! Patch 5 brings a lot. Meanwhile, we’re brewing a community update to unveil some fresh features coming to Baldur’s Gate 3.”
Michael Douse, the director of publishing, acknowledged the slowdown issues in Act 3, attributing them to a bug in Moonrise that compounded over time. Responding to a commenter’s hopes for Act 3 to be “fixed,” Douse confirmed, “Yes.”
Players have encountered numerous problems in Act 3 since the last major update, prompting a hotfix to address some issues. However, substantial improvements are on the way this week.
A concerned Larian forums user reported, “Act 3 has become non-functional. Companions won’t follow, NPCs glitch or disappear entirely, interactions fail, changing companions is impossible, saving and reloading are futile. Lag spikes last a mere 15 seconds every ten minutes.”
The game’s performance in the final act became so unbearable that some labeled it “unplayable.” Hopefully, that’s about to change. As anticipation mounts for the fifth patch, the community is urging Larian Studios to enable romancing Orin, also known as the Grandmaster of Murder. It’s a murkier proposition than Minthara, raising eyebrows among fans.
Chances are, even if romance with Orin were possible, it might lead to a messy aftermath for your party to untangle. But that hasn’t deterred enthusiastic fans from expressing their interest.