Larian Studios, the mastermind behind the critically acclaimed RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, has swiftly responded to the Xbox Series X/S community’s call for stability fixes by releasing the game’s inaugural update on Microsoft’s latest consoles. This update, a mere four days after the unexpected release of the game on Xbox, comes as a welcome relief for players eager to delve into the immersive world of Baldur’s Gate 3.
The highly anticipated title, crowned with the prestigious TGA Game of the Year 2023 award, has been making waves in the gaming sphere for months. Its success not only earned it accolades but also prompted Microsoft to expedite the Xbox port, allowing Larian to forgo the split-screen multiplayer mode on the Series S variant—a rare exception to the usual Xbox requirement of feature parity between Series X and Series S titles.
The initial focus of this patch, released on December 11, is to address stability concerns on the Xbox Series X/S. While Larian Studios has described the update as “small,” players on social media have reported a rather weighty download, with the patch clocking in at 18.28 GB. This substantial size represents approximately 13% of the overall game, which itself occupies around 137.55 GB on the Xbox Series X/S.
Despite the significant size of the update, certain persisting issues have yet to be completely resolved. Players have reported instances of save files disappearing after a crash, a problem that the current update does not seem to rectify. However, Larian Studios has assured the community that they are actively addressing this concern and are committed to delivering a solution promptly. Meanwhile, Microsoft is poised to release a system-wide Xbox Series X/S update today, promising to mitigate some of the save file issues. As of 11 am ET on December 11, reports suggest that this update has yet to materialize.
Baldur’s Gate 3 made its Xbox debut with all prior updates incorporated, including the substantial Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 released in late November. This update brought with it new game modes, enriching the gaming experience with additional story content and a host of other changes. If the pattern follows the PS5 port of the game, players can expect the Xbox version to receive concurrent updates with the original PC version in the future.
In the aftermath of the Xbox release, Microsoft has affirmed its commitment to exploring the inclusion of split-screen multiplayer in the Series S version. While this feature is currently absent from the budget-friendly console, Larian Studios has already demonstrated significant strides in optimizing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the Xbox Series S. This progress offers a glimmer of hope to players, suggesting that split-screen multiplayer might not be an unattainable dream for the system in the future.
In the dynamic world of Baldur’s Gate 3, where each update brings new enhancements and challenges, players eagerly await further developments and the promise of an increasingly polished gaming experience on the Xbox Series X/S. As Larian Studios continues to fine-tune this masterpiece, the journey through Baldur’s Gate is poised to become even more captivating for adventurers on Microsoft’s latest consoles.
