Welcome to our Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer guide!
Baldur's Gate 3 offers a captivating single-player RPG experience, where you embark on an adventure with your NPC companions. However, the game truly shines when played in a co-op multiplayer mode, allowing you and your friends to venture into the rich and immersive world together.
But using it might not be as straightforward as it sounds. So let's look at how to play co-op with friends in Baldur's Gate 3.
How to create or host a new multiplayer game
If you haven't had prior experience creating a multiplayer game in Baldur's Gate, the process may appear confusing to you. No worries, as we're here to assist you every step of the way.
To start or create a co-op game in Baldur's Gate 3:
- Select the Multiplayer button from the main menu.
- From there, select the Create button at the bottom of the screen to make a lobby.
- Change the "Who can join your game" setting to Invitation Only or Friends Only.
To invite players from your Steam friends list, you can click on the empty player boxes. Alternatively, you can send the Server ID to friends, and they can use it with the Direct Connect option from the Multiplayer screen.
Once everyone is ready, click "Launch" to start the multiplayer game. Everyone who's connected will be sent to the character creation screen and then awakened together at the start of the game.
How to join Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer
There are two ways to join a multiplayer game in Baldur's Gate 3: either by accepting the invitation sent by the host through Steam, or by directly entering the server ID.
Here is how to join Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer game using the server ID:
- Select the Multiplayer button from the main menu.
- From there, enter the server ID in the respective field and you are good to go.
Alternatively, players have the option to join a single-player game in progress, provided the host grants permission. To do that, the host can pause the game, access the "Session" option from the pause menu, and invite friends to participate.
The host can then assign control of various characters and party members to the invited friends.
Is there a split-screen co-op?
At the moment, Baldur's Gate 3 does not offer split-screen co-op. That is a shame, as that opportunity might indeed make for some exciting nights of gaming on the same couch.
Still, no hope is lost. Considering Larian's progress on the game, the game might indeed be released with a split-screen co-op. We will update this guide should the full-release version contain a split-screen co-op.
What happens if a player disconnects or leaves?
In case a player is disconnected - for connection issues, for example - or leaves, the game is not lost. Instead, what happens is that control of their character will go over to other players who are still connected to the session.
Should this create an issue, for example, because someone is controlling unwanted characters, the player hosting the session can also decide to modify the assignments. This is done by going into the Session menu by pressing ESC.
What are the best multiplayer mods?
Here is a collection of some of the best multiplayer mods that you can try for some better co-op sessions:
- 5e Spells: among many fixes to the spells, this mod adds to the reaction system both the Shield and Absorb Elements spells, for a much better and quicker defence.
- 6 Players coop: this opens up co-op to up to six players, from the four of the unmodded game.
- Basket Full of Equipment: this adds a lot of new items, which can definitely inject fun into any multiplayer session.
- Customizer's compendium: for much better character creation for your customized character.
We will definitely be sure to add new and fun multiplayer mods as they will be released.