How to play multiplayer in Baldur's Gate 3
Get your party on.
Baldur's Gate 3 is based on Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop game that's designed to be played collaboratively with friends. So if you'd rather have a traditional D&D-style experience, you may prefer to go adventuring with some IRL companions in The Forgotten Realms, instead of taking on a solo run through Faerun in BG3.
Thankfully, developers Larian Studios have set things up so it's easy to jump in and out of multiplayer in Baldur's Gate 3. If you're wondering how to play Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer with friends or with strangers then we've got a step-by-step guide below.
How to play Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer
Baldur's Gate 3 supports multiplayer for between two to four players. If you want to play online with other players, then launch Baldur's Gate 3 on your device and select the Multiplayer option on the main menu. This will open up a screen with different lobbies that you can join, as well as the option to start a new multiplayer game.
How to create a new multiplayer game of Baldur's Gate 3
To start a brand new multiplayer game, click the 'Create' button at the bottom of your screen. This will open up a new menu where you can customise the lobby settings for your game, including the number of players that can take part and your lobby's privacy settings. You can also use this menu to send invites for players to join your game.
There are four different privacy settings you can choose for your lobby, which impacts who can see your game and join it:
- Public - Creates a public game that anyone can join.
- Friends only - Creates a game only for people on your platform's friend list.
- Invitation only - Creates a game where you need an invite to join.
- Closed - Creates a Closed lobby that requires a 'Direct Connection ID' to join.
On the left of this 'Lobby' screen there's also a few blank cards with + icons. Clicking on these icons lets you invite specific players into your game. Once everyone has accepted the invite and is online you'll be ready to go adventuring.
Before we move on, it's important to point out a few things about multiplayer in BG3. Firstly, if everyone in your party wants to create an Origin character then make sure you start a multiplayer game from scratch. If a player joins an online multiplayer game that's already in progress, they'll take over a companion instead.
Also, in Baldur's Gate 3, multiplayer progress isn't profile specific. It's instead tracked to a campaign save file on the host's computer. This helps replicate that feeling in DnD, where you go to your character sheets to pick up a campaign right where you left off. But it also means you'll need to log on at the same time as the host whenever you want to continue playing.
How to join a Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer game with friends or strangers
To join a Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer game, you once again have to head to the game's main menu and select Multiplayer. This will take you to a screen with two different tabs at the top - 'Online' and 'LAN'. Make sure you select 'Online' to see different lobbies that you can join.
On the right of this screen there's a 'Filters' menu with different options, which helps pinpoint the game you want to join. If you select the 'Friends' checkbox then you should see any games your friends are hosting, as long as they choose the relevant privacy settings when setting it up. If the game you're joining requires a 'Direct Connection ID', then select the 'Direct Connect' checkbox instead.
If you want to join a stranger's game then select one of the other games listed underneath 'Lobbies'. Alongside each lobby listing, you'll also see the number of players in the game and the player level, as well as the adventure they're on and the location they're in. This can help you figure out which game you want to jump into. Just bear in mind that when you join a game already in progress you won't get to create an Origin character, you will take over an existing party member instead.
How to turn an existing single-player session into multiplayer
If you've already started a single-player game, and would like to turn it into a multiplayer session, you can still do that. To enable multiplayer during a single-game game, the host needs to hit the 'Escape' key to access the in-game menu and then select 'Session'.
This will open up the 'Session Manager', which will let you invite friends and adjust the lobby settings.
How to play Baldur's Gate 3 co-op split-screen
Playing couch co-op on Baldur's Gate 3 is easy peasy. When you head to the character creation screen, make sure you've connected two controllers if you want to play with two players locally.
You can also set-up split screen at any point while playing. If there's an available avatar slot, connecting two controllers will let player two create a character. If not, they will take control of an existing avatar instead.
Other Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer features
When you're playing multiplayer in Baldur's Gate 3, you are able to do your own thing. You don't have to stay near the other people you're playing with, but of course, it is the best way to survive. When it comes to the dialogue scenes, while the person who initiates a conversation gets to choose the dialogue option, other players in the session get to vote on what they would pick.
Looking for more Baldur's Gate 3 content? For help with crafting the perfect character check out our pages on the best Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock build, best Rogue build and best Wizard build. We've also got guides on what is The Guardian in Baldur's Gate 3 as well as best spells for early game and best weapons for early game.