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Larian Studios know how to make a great and difficult RPG. Just like a campaign from a DM in Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur’s Gate 3 can be easy or challenging depending on the difficulty setting, which you may want to change. Combat difficulty can ramp up on you, which can be surprising early on for people who never played Divinity: Original Sin or its sequel. If you are finding it too easy or too hard, we will guide you to switch to a different experience that better suits your needs.
Difficulty options were not available in Early Access, but on August 3 for PC players and September 6 for PS5 players, you will be able to change the difficulty in Baldur’s Gate 3. Once you start the game, you will naturally be led to select your difficulty. If you want to change it later, pause and select “Difficulty.” From there, make your selection and continue playing.
No matter what difficulty setting you choose, you should know what the options are. As we said, Baldur’s Gate 3 can be quite challenging, so the right difficulty setting can make greatly boost your enjoyment. Below we have a simple explanation of the three options:
Balanced mode
Balanced mode is the default option, essentially making it normal if you want to put it in classic video game terms. It will blend challenging encounters and easier moments so you do not feel overwhelmed and can enjoy the story. It will still deliver the intended vision of the combat, which is meant to be puzzle-like as you strategize through each encounter.
Explorer mode
Explorer mode allows people to embrace the narrative without worrying too much about combat. Selecting this will not only make enemies easier, but buying items from merchants is cheaper, and you will gain +2 proficiency.
Tactician mode
Tactician mode is for anyone wanting a challenging experience. To make combat require more strategy than brute force, enemies will have a higher Armor Class (AC), increased hit points, and more damage to deliver to your party. The environment will be deadlier with more hazards at play.
