Baldur’s Gate 3’s hardest difficulty mode sounds like no joke

Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has outlined what players should expect from the game’s hardest difficulty mode.

Larian Studios rolled out an early access version of Baldur’s Gate 3 nearly three years ago. Those who’ve been participating should feel more than familiar with the role-playing game’s default difficulty option – Balanced mode.

Naturally, the Balanced option provides an even-keeled experience, presenting players with a challenge but not one impossible to overcome.

During its recent Panel From Hell showcase, the studio shared a few more details about the different difficulty options. One, in particular, may reduce some players to fits of crying.

Tactician is the hardest difficulty in Baldur’s Gate 3

In addition to Balanced, the new Baldur’s Gate will launch with an easier difficulty setting known as Explorer. Developers noted during the Panel From Hell stream that Explorer will prove ideal for those who’d rather focus on the narrative without worrying too much about the combat.

The hardest difficulty – Tactician – couldn’t be more different from its counterparts. According to Senior Combat Designer Matt Holland, Tactician is the “hard mode… the one that’s really going to challenge [players] in the combat – and even outside the combat in some ways.”

Tactician will work two-fold. On the one hand, it’ll up the ante as expected – enemies deal more damage, increased enemy health, smarter AI, etc. Holland noted that, on the other hand, Tactician exists because the team’s gone through every engagement and “added in little bits of spice” to ensure each encounter feels “that much harder.”

The developer likened the mode to “going against a Dungeon Master that’s trying to push you to your limits.”

Creative Director Swen Vincke added that going up against such a challenge will require players to know the ruleset. “[You’ll] really need to start getting every single advantage that you can because otherwise, you’re going to get obliterated,” Vincke continued.

The Creative Director even teased viewers, telling them Tactician is bound to cause many frustrations. “I know you’re all going to play on Tactician because you can handle it, and then you’re going to start crying, and then you’re going to say the game is bad. It’s not our fault – it’s you!”

Players won’t have to wait too much longer to test their might with the hardest difficulty option in Baldur’s Gate 3. The RPG hits PC on August 3, with the PS5 version slated to drop on September 6.