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How to Update Baldur’s Gate 3 Without Breaking Mods

A careful BG3 update workflow: record your version, back up the load order and saves, check mod compatibility, and troubleshoot failures without risking your campaign.
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You can reduce the risk of a Baldur’s Gate 3 update disrupting your mods, but no backup or mod manager can guarantee compatibility. Before updating, record your game version, save your active load order, and check updates through the right channel: the in-game Mod Manager for supported mods, and the mod author’s current notes for third-party mods.

Before updating, protect your saves and load order

  1. Record your installed game version. Check the version shown by your game or platform before installing the patch. Compatibility advice is version-specific, and the live build can change.
  2. Save the active mod list and load order. Use the export or backup option in the manager you use. BG3 Mod Manager documents saving load orders as external JSON files and exporting an active order to the game; these are features of that project, not a Larian requirement. See the BG3 Mod Manager documentation.
  3. Preserve your saves. Some mods can affect an existing save when disabled or removed. Keep a separate copy of important saves before changing mods or troubleshooting; backing up does not make an incompatible save safe to load.

Check updates according to the mod type

Larian-supported mods

Open the in-game Mod Manager and select the Installed tab. If an Update button appears for a supported mod, use it. Larian describes its supported pipeline as aiming for greater compatibility and cross-platform availability, but warns that mods can still break when the game updates. See Larian Studios Support: Official Mod Support.

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Third-party mods

Check each mod’s author page or release notes for compatibility with the exact game version you have installed. Larian’s in-game update and sync functions do not cover third-party mods in the same way, and Larian says it cannot directly manage or fix player-created mods. Do not assume a mod is compatible simply because it remains enabled or appears in a load order.

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Update the game, then test deliberately

Once you have saved your load order and checked current mod notes, install the game update through your platform. Launch the game and test a copy of a relevant save or a new session before relying on a heavily modded campaign. If the game reports a mod mismatch, a mod is missing, or a save behaves unexpectedly, stop and troubleshoot rather than repeatedly changing several mods at once. Updates can cause mod issues, especially with third-party mods; there is no universally safe schedule that guarantees a patch will leave a particular mod working.

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If mods stop working after an update

  1. Separate official and third-party mods. Confirm which mods are supported through Larian’s pipeline and which came from an external author or manager. Check the author’s latest compatibility notes for third-party items.
  2. Disable supported mods as a diagnostic test. Larian recommends disabling official mods to see whether the problem persists. Preserve your save and load-order backup first, because disabling a mod may affect a save that depends on it.
  3. If a third-party mod appears responsible, check its author’s instructions and update or remove its files as appropriate. Larian advises removing third-party mod files when troubleshooting issues after a major update.
  4. On Windows PC, check only the documented locations relevant to that installation. Larian identifies the game installation’s DataMods and DataPublic folders, the local profile folder %LocalAppData%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3, and the profile file modsettings.lsx as possible troubleshooting locations. Larian notes that an outdated profile or configuration may be relevant, and that old profile/configuration files can sometimes be copied from Documents. Follow Larian’s mod-issues support instructions for the current steps; these Windows paths should not be applied to console or Mac.
  5. If you use BG3 Mod Manager, check its project documentation for restoring or exporting a saved order. The project also documents checking whether an invalid mod causes modsettings.lsx to reset. That is manager-specific guidance, not a Larian guarantee.
  6. Escalate based on the result. If the issue disappears with mods disabled, contact the relevant mod author. If it remains with mods disabled, contact Larian Support.

Keep multiplayer and cross-platform play in sync

For a modded multiplayer session, every participant needs the same mods at the same versions. Supported mods may show an Update option in the Installed tab; for third-party mods, each player may need to verify versions through the mod’s author or manager. Do not assume a mod available on PC is also available on console or Mac: Larian’s cross-platform pipeline is curated and subject to platform technical limits and testing. If you rely on cross-saves, check that the game versions and supported mod availability line up across the devices you use.

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What an update can—and cannot—promise

Larian’s supported pipeline is intended to improve compatibility, not eliminate patch risk. Third-party mods do not receive the same built-in update and sync functions or full technical support as supported mods. A saved load order helps you restore what you had; it does not establish that those mods work with a new game build. Verify compatibility with the current version and the mod author’s notes before assuming a campaign is ready to continue.

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