I remember the thrill I felt when I booted up Baldur's Gate 3 that November afternoon in 2025, only to be greeted by the announcement of Hotfix 35. 😊 As a dedicated player, I've spent countless hours exploring Faerûn, but lately, those adventures were marred by frustrating crashes—especially on my trusty Steam Deck. The update promised fixes, and I eagerly installed it, hoping for smoother gameplay. But just like many others in the community, I soon discovered that this small patch, while solving some technical nightmares, had a nasty side effect: it shattered my beloved mods into digital dust. The irony wasn't lost on me; here was Larian Studios, a developer I'd come to admire, still tossing us a lifeline even as they've largely moved on to new horizons. Yet, this unexpected support felt bittersweet, reminding me of the game's enduring legacy and the delicate balance between progress and preservation in our modded worlds.

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Diving into the patch notes, I was relieved to see tangible improvements that directly addressed my pain points. Hotfix 35, though modest, wasn't just fluff; it targeted crashes across platforms like a precision strike. For instance, on my PS5, I'd often freeze when pressing L2—a glitch that ruined intense boss fights. Now, it's gone! 🎮 Similarly, Xbox users, who faced disconnects in multiplayer sessions, finally got some love. But the real star was the Steam Deck enhancements. I recall how fuzzy the graphics felt before, but with the upscaling switch from FSR 1 to FSR 2.2, everything looks crisper. Loading times improved, and that pesky crash when saving after crafting? Vanished. It's amazing how such tiny tweaks can transform the experience. Here's a quick rundown of the key fixes I noticed:

  • Crashes on PS5: Fixed a freeze when pressing L2—no more mid-battle interruptions!

  • Xbox multiplayer woes: Resolved host crashes when clients leave, and client crashes during loading suspensions.

  • Steam Deck and Mac stability: Eliminated saving crashes post-crafting and improved cross-play reliability.

  • Steam Deck specifics: Boosted sharpness with FSR 2.2, fixed controller bugs, and slashed VRAM use on Nvidia GPUs.

Of course, not all was rosy. As I fired up my modded save file, chaos ensued. Characters glitched out, quests broke, and my custom spirit companion—a creation I'd poured hours into—vanished into thin air. 😢 That's when I realized Hotfix 35 had a dark side: it rendered many mods incompatible overnight. Over on the subreddit, the outcry was deafening. Players like me were scrambling to update mods or risk losing our cherished enhancements. It's a recurring theme in Baldur's Gate 3; every update feels like a double-edged sword. This got me thinking about common questions we all face:

People Also Ask:

  • Why do Baldur's Gate 3 updates always break mods? (It's because mods rely on specific game versions, and even small patches alter core code.)

  • How can I fix my mods after Hotfix 35? (Simply update them via mod managers or check community forums for compatibility patches.)

  • Will Larian Studios release more updates for Baldur's Gate 3? (Yes, but expect only minor fixes like this, as they've shifted focus to new games.)

Now, reflecting on Larian's journey, it's bittersweet. They dropped Patch 8 back in April 2025 as their final major update, and since then, they've been quietly chipping away at bugs while diving into fresh projects. As a fan, I'm torn—excited for their next adventures but nostalgic for what made Baldur's Gate 3 so special. I mean, following up on a masterpiece like this? That's a tall order. Still, knowing they're still in our corner, even minimally, gives me hope. Maybe we'll see another hotfix or two down the line.

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In the end, after updating my mods and diving back in, I felt a renewed sense of appreciation. Hotfix 35 may have caused headaches, but it also smoothed out those rough edges that used to yank me out of immersion. My Steam Deck runs like a dream now, with sharper visuals and faster loads. And that spirit character? Once I patched the mod, it was back, guiding me through shadowy forests. So, here I am, back at the start: loading up Baldur's Gate 3 with a mix of anticipation and wariness. It's a reminder that in gaming, as in life, progress often comes with trade-offs—but for this player, the journey remains worth every crash and fix. 🔥