How BG3 Multiplayer Works - Baldur's Gate III Guide - IGN (2024)

It’s time to gather your party in Baldur’s Gate 3 with multiplayer mode! This guide will walk you through how to set up multiplayer to play BG3 online with a party of 4, how to play couch co-op, and information about crossplay and cross-platform progression support.

BG3 Multiplayer Guide

Know how you want to connect or manage your party? Jump to the sections below:

• How to Set Up Online Multiplayer
• How to Set Up Split-Screen Co-Op
• How to Reassign Characters to Players
• Is There Cross-Play?
• Cross-Platform Saves and Progression

How to Set Up Online Multiplayer

In online multiplayer mode, you can have a party of up to 4 players connected across compatible devices.

You can set up multiplayer in Baldur’s Gate 3 in two ways: either by starting a new game or by adding a new player to an existing game session. There are some differences in character creation that you may want to take into account with your party before setting up a multiplayer session in BG3.

Note: If you want to play as an Origin character in BG3, you must select an Origin character as your avatar in the character creator at the start of a new game. You cannot create an Origin character when you join an existing game session unless one of the avatars is an Origin character. The game will prompt the new player(s) to create a custom character when joining the session or assign the new player(s) to an existing avatar.

Starting a New Game in Multiplayer

When starting a new game, the host who creates the game will be the only person who can load save files because those will be stored on their device and account. Keep this in mind when deciding who will start the new game.

If you are the host: Select ‘Multiplayer’ from the Baldur’s Gate 3 menu. This will take you to the online lobbies.

At the bottom, select ‘Create’. This will take you to your personal lobby room where you can customize lobby settings, such as Gameplay Mode, Number of Slots for players, Online Visibility, or Direct Connection options.

Here is what each Online Visibility option means for how to connect with your party:

• Closed: For a closed lobby. You cannot invite from your friends list, but you can still generate a Direct Connection (see below).
• Invitation only: For your lobby to only be accessible by invitation (e.g., inviting specific Steam friends).
• Friends only: For your lobby to be visible to all your friends on the same platform. Your friends will be able to see your lobby from the list of online lobbies in-game.
• Public: For your lobby to be displayed for anyone to see and join.

Alternatively, the host can choose to generate a Direct Connection ID and share that ID with your party members. The text box allows for copying and pasting of the ID.

If you are joining the party: Select ‘Multiplayer’ from the Baldur’s Gate 3 menu. This will take you to the online lobbies.

On the right, you can filter by lobby settings to find your host’s lobby. If your host set the Online Visibility option to ‘Friends only’, then select the ‘Friends’ checkbox and refresh the list of lobbies to apply the filter and find the lobby.

If the host provided you with a Direct Connection ID instead, check the ‘Direct Connection’ box and a text box will appear for you to enter the ID.

Joining an Existing Game Session

If the host did not set up multiplayer at the start of a new game, they can still invite friends to an existing game session. First, the host needs to access the in-game menu and select ‘Session’.

This will pull up the Session Manager, which allows you to invite friends, reassign characters, and make changes to the lobby settings. Select the gear to adjust these settings.

Here is what each Online Visibility option means for how to connect with your party:

• Closed: For a closed lobby. You cannot invite from your friends list, but you can still generate a Direct Connection (see below).
• Invitation only: For your lobby to only be accessible by invitation (e.g., inviting specific Steam friends).
• Friends only: For your lobby to be visible to all your friends on the same platform. Your friends will be able to see your lobby from the list of online lobbies in-game.
• Public: For your lobby to be displayed for anyone to see and join.

Alternatively, the host can choose to generate a Direct Connection ID and share that ID with your party members. The text box allows for copying and pasting of the ID.

NOTE: You cannot create an Origin character when you join an existing game session unless one of the avatars is an Origin character. The game will prompt the new player(s) to create a custom character when joining the session or assign the new player(s) to an existing avatar.

How to Set Up Split-Screen Co-Op (couch co-op)

Instead of playing online, you can play locally in split-screen mode with two players for a couch co-op experience.

When starting a new game, you’ll have an introductory cinematic and go into character creation. Connect two controllers to your device and the split-screen mode will activate automatically. Here you will be able to customize your characters. You will only be able to select Origin characters as your avatars at the start of a new game.

You can also set up split-screen mode at any point during an existing game session by connecting two controllers to your device. If there is an available avatar slot, the game will send the new player into character creation for a custom avatar. If all slots are taken by playable avatars, then the player will be able to take over an existing avatar.

If the party you are joining is above Level 1, you will also be able to level up and multiclass up to your party's current level.

If split-screen does not activate, double check that your controllers are on and connected properly. You may need to push the ‘start’ button to send a signal to the device.

Split-screen mode is not available on Steam Deck.

How to Reassign Characters to Players

From the game menu, select ‘Session’ to bring up the Session Manager. From here, you can reassign playable characters and companions to your party members.

Each player needs to have at least one playable character.

Is There Cross-Play?

Baldur’s Gate 3 supports cross-play for PC between Steam and GOG. If you and your friends own the game on either Steam or GOG, then you can play together in a party.

There is no cross-play support for players across PC and PS5 platforms.

Cross-Platform Saves and Progression

Baldur’s Gate 3 supports cross-platform saves and progression between PC, Mac, and PS5. This means you are able to save your progress in BG3 on one platform and can continue playing that adventure on another device or platform where you own the game. For complete instructions, see How PS5 Cross-Saves Work in BG3