Can you play local couch co-op multiplayer in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Baldur's Gate 3 is primarily a single-player RPG that allows players to craft their own character, gather a group of NPC party members, and carve their journey out in the world for themselves. However, there also exists the Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer co-op side. The game can be played with up to four real players in a single session, giving you an actual party instead of one full of NPCs.

With the game out now, PS5 and multiplayer support also in the console version, co-op sessions are surely on the cards for many. However, Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer can be tricky to set up correctly. This guide will cover how to set up a co-op game, invite your friends, and join a friend's game.

For more on Baldur's Gate 3, check out our guide on how to level up fast, as well as whether you can become a vampire. For more on the game, read up on all Baldur's Gate 3 quests and the best builds to use. We've also got a Baldur's Gate 3 race tier list, which should come in handy!

Credit: Image via Larian Studios

How to create and host a new game in Baldur's Gate 3

First and foremost, you will likely want to know how to set up your own game for your friends to join in Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer. Luckily, this is one of the easier things to do, so players shouldn't have much trouble setting up their game.

To start a co-op game, go to the main menu screen of Baldur's Gate 3 and then select the 'Multiplayer' button. This will bring up a new screen, and here you need to select the 'Create' button at the bottom of the menu.

On the Create screen, you can set how you want your friends to be able to join. You can either select 'Invitation Only' or 'Friends Only'. We recommend selecting friends only so you don't have to invite all your friends individually.

• Read more: Baldur's Gate 3 companions ranked

However, if you want to invite your friends, you can do so by pressing on the empty player boxes. This will bring up your friends list on PS5 or Steam, allowing you to invite whoever you want.

Once your friends have accepted their invites, their names appear in the player boxes. After all of the slots have been filled, you can hit start. All players will be sent to the character creation screen, and you will spawn into the game after you have confirmed your character selections.

If you want to save your current game as the host, you only need to do the same thing as in a single-player playthrough. Go to the session menu of Baldur's Gate 3, hit 'Save', and then select a save slot.

• More tips: How to save in Baldur's Gate 3

Alternatively, to get your friends back into the game, you can bring the session menu back up and then go to settings. From here, you can send more invites to the friends you want to join you. Once all the players have joined, you can assign them to their characters on the Session Manager screen.

How to join Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer - all settings explained

On the flip side, you might also need to know how to join a friend's game of Baldur's Gate 3 if you're not the host. Joining another host's game has more rules than creating your own game, so you can read the list below to see how it works.

• You won't be able to play as your own character when joining a session in progress unless you begin the game with the host. If you're joining a game that's already progressed, you will be assigned a character.
• If you begin the game with the host, you can create your own character. However, that character won't exclusively be assigned to you.
• All characters in a multiplayer game are completely free from each other. You don't have to stay near, do quests together, or interact with each other. Of course, doing so is recommended since this will strengthen your party.
• When a character engages in dialogue, others can suggest what to say or do. The person who engaged in the dialogue has the final say, though.
• The host of the session can give other players control over companions. This is done by going to the Session Manager and managing all of the party members.

Multiplayer can be quite buggy in Baldur's Gate 3, as a lot is going on in terms of each player and what they can do. However, you and up to three other players can take on the game together in the same session.

Credit: Image via Larian Studios

Is there split-screen couch co-op in Baldur's Gate 3?

Baldur's Gate 3 includes split-screen couch co-op at launch. The split-screen feature will be in vertical mode, and players can fully play the game as two different characters on the same monitor and using the same device. Of course, a secondary device can also be plugged in for the second player as well.

If you partake in split-screen co-op, you can only play a session with you and the person you share the screen with. You won't be able to invite other players to your session while in split-screen.

• Read more: Baldur's Gate 3 weapons list

Like in multiplayer, though, you and the person you share a screen with don't have to stay near each other. You can control different party members and go out and do your things in the world.

What happens if a player disconnects or leaves in Baldur's Gate 3?

A common question that co-op players have is what happens to the game if a player in the session disconnects from Baldur's Gate 3.

Luckily, nothing happens besides control over the disconnecting player's character being assigned to someone else still in the session. Additionally, any party members whose character had been assigned to them will be reassigned as well.

Credit: Image via Larian Studios

Do Baldur's Gate 3 mods work in multiplayer?

When playing Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer, every player participating in the session will need the same mods installed.

This sounds simple enough; however, while there are many mods for Baldur's Gate 3, mod support is lacking, and many players find they have trouble joining or hosting a game when mods are being used.

Community suggestions on how to fix this issue usually center around not only having the same mods installed but also installing them in the same order.

This is obviously a time-consuming task, and we can only hope Larian Studios works to fix mod support, making customizing your multiplayer games easier in the future.

To read more on the game, check out how to use rope in Baldur's Gate 3.

Can you switch hosts in Baldur's Gate 3?

You can switch hosts, but this will only work on PC. The host is the only one who can save the campaign progress, so they are the only ones who can load it back up. To transfer the ability to host the session, the host has to share their save files hidden in Window's hidden AppData folder. Follow these steps to get to the folder:

Users > [username] > AppData > Local > Larian Studios > Baldur's Gate 3 > PlayerProfiles > Public > Savegames > Story

Send the co-op save file to your friend or co-op party member and let them load it on their PC. They can start the session, invite the previous host and other players, reassign characters in the Session Menu, and other host's options.