Baldur's Gate 3

How To Install Mods In Baldur's Gate 3 (2026)

A full guide on how to download and install mods in Baldur's Gate 3.

How to install mods in Baldur's Gate 3. This guide mostly focuses on the Steam version of the game, but most steps should work with GOG and other versions as well! There are also instructions on how to use the BG3 Mod Launcher.

Modding Baldur's Gate 3 can add various new spells, companions, visual overhauls, and even QoL improvements to the game. The process of installing mods is relatively straight-forward to most users, but it can be a bit confusing for new modders. This guide will walk you through the steps to get your mods up and running in no time!

Requirements

This guide is intended for users running Windows, but you should be able to get this working for other operating systems like Linux by using tools like Wine or Proton.

Baldur's Gate 3 installed on your PC.
7-Zip or a program similar to extract compressed files and archives.
A basic understanding of navigating, copying, and pasting folders and files on your operating system.

Downloading & Installing Mods

The most popular websites to download BG3 mods from are Baldur's Gate 3 Official Website and Nexus Mods.

Baldur's Gate 3 Official Website (Recommended)

BG3's official mod website is a trending source for mods. It is recommended since it'll automatically download and update mods for you when you launch the game.

Go to Baldur's Gate 3 Official Website.
Sign into the website if necessary.
- In order to subscribe to mods, you need to have an account and be signed in.
Browse and select the mods you'd like to download.
Click the Subscribe button.
Launch or restart the game.
- The mod will now be downloaded and updated automatically when you launch the game.

Nexus Mods

Nexus Mods is one of the most popular websites for mods and has a large variety of mods for Baldur's Gate 3. While using the BG3 official website for mods is recommended, you can also find mods on Nexus Mods that aren't on the official website.

There are two ways to download and install mods through Nexus Mods; the manual way and the automatic way using Vortex, which is Nexus Mods' official mod manager. It is recommended to use Vortex, but some mods may not support it.

Using Vortex

Download and install Vortex from the Nexus Mods website here.
Open Vortex and log in using your Nexus Mods account if necessary.
Go to the mod's page on Nexus Mods and click the Mod Manager Download button.
Vortex should automatically detect the download and prompt you to install the mod.
- You may receive a pop-up from your web browser asking if it's okay for Vortex to open. Click Open Vortex or the equivalent option in your browser!
After installing the mod, make sure to enable it in Vortex, adjust your mod load order if necessary, and finally restart your game for the changes to take effect.

Manually (Advanced)

Some mods don't support Vortex, so you may need to download and install them manually (or you just prefer doing it that way).

Go to the mod's page on Nexus Mods.
Click the Files tab and download the mod's files.
Download and extract the mod's files using a program like 7-Zip.
Place the extracted .pak files into the Mods folder (see next section).

Locating the Mods Folder

The Mods folder is where you need to place the downloaded .pak files for the game to load them. The path to the Mods folder is as follows:

%LocalAppData%\Larian Studios\Baldur's Gate 3\Mods

NOTE #1 - You can paste that path directly into File Explorer's address bar.

NOTE #2 - If the Mods folder doesn't exist, create it manually.

The BG3 Mod Manager

The Baldur's Gate 3 Mod Manager makes it easy to install and manage mods. While it isn't required when installing mods manually, it is highly recommended since it provides a user-friendly interface to manage your mods and their load order.

Installing the Mod Manager

Download the BG3 Mod Manager from GitHub here.
- The tool's latest releases may be found here.

BG3 Mod Manager GitHub

Extract the ZIP file using a program like 7-Zip and then run BG3ModManager.exe.

After extracting the ZIP contents, the extracted file/folders list should look something like below depending on your OS.

File Listing

Run the executable. Afterwards, ensure you have the Game Data and Game Executable path settings set inside of Settings -> Preferences.
- If these settings are changed, you will need to restart the mod manager for it to take effect.
- Common Game Paths on Steam:
  - Data Path: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Baldurs Gate 3/Data
  - Executable Path: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Baldurs Gate 3/bin/bg3.exe

BG3 Mod Manager Game Data Path

NOTE #2 - After arranging your mod load order, make sure to click the Export to Game button to save your load order to the modsettings.lsx file. Load order changes require a game restart.

Add Mods Through The Manager

There are two ways to install mods through the BG3 Mod Manager. You can either import the ZIP file you downloaded from Nexus Mods or the official website, or you can add the .pak file to your mods folder.

Import the mod's ZIP file or add the .pak file to your Mods folder.
- If you're importing the ZIP file, open the BG3 Mod Manager, click the File drop-down menu, click Import Mod, and select the ZIP file you downloaded.
Once the mod(s) are imported, they will be inactive by default. To activate them, drag them from the Inactive Mods list to the Active Mods list (on the left side).
Apply the changes and restart the game for the changes to take effect.

Launch the Game & Test

You can now launch Baldur's Gate 3 normally via Steam or GOG. If everything is set up correctly, your mods should be active.

If a mod isn't working, make sure to check the following.

Double-check if the mods you've installed require any additional dependencies.
Make sure your mod manager exported the order properly.

Uninstalling Mods

If you no longer want to have a mod installed or a mod is causing issues, you can remove the mod using the following steps.

Remove the .pak file from the Mods folder.
Remove it from the Active Mods list in BG3 Mod Manager (or deactivate the mod).
Re-export your load order.

WARNING - Some mods may leave behind changes in your save file. For a clean uninstall, use a save from before the mod was installed.

Notes

Always back up your saves and data files before modding.
Some mods may break after major updates to the game. Though most mods are usually fine and if not, are updated by the mod author quite quickly (depending on the mod, of course).
Whenever you're having an issue, check the mod's comments to see if others are having the same issue and if they've provided a potential fix.

Mod Fixer

If you're running BG3 patch 6 or below, you may need to download and install the BG3 Mod Fixer to get mods working properly.

This mod forces the story to recompile, allowing certain or all mods to work with the full release of the game.

Install this mod by simply placing the .pak file into your Mods folder as explained above. You can also import the ZIP file through the BG3 Mod Manager.

Conclusion

You should have a basic understanding of how to download, install, and manage mods in Baldur's Gate 3.

Whether you're tweaking visuals or changing gameplay mechanics, mods can make your BG3 experience even more enjoyable. Just be careful, and always read the mod pages for extra instructions or updates!