In the final patch notes for Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios confirmed Alfira’s fate as a “one-night kinda thing” – and players are not happy about it.
Back in July, Baldur’s Gate 3 fans buzzed with excitement over a Community Update hinting at a “certain bard” joining the player’s party temporarily. Though the update was vague, most players speculated that this referred to Alfira, the popular Tiefling bard NPC met in Act 1.
Fast forward to September’s Patch 7, and Larian’s final update for Baldur’s Gate 3 has delivered on its promise.
But while the patch introduced a toothless Gale and a selection of grim endings, it crushed hopes for Alfira as a permanent party member.
Patch notes clarified: “We remember stating…a certain bard would now be able to join the party as a controllable character at camp if there’s an empty slot, TEMPORARILY.” This means Alfira will only stick around for one night.
They closed off this note with a playful message that made it painfully clear: “There are no new companions. There is only death.”
The backlash was swift and stinging. On Reddit, players voiced their devastation. One user noted, “Thinking about this implementation, if it was my first time playing and I could even control Alfira in camp, I would have really believed she was joining my party. It would have stung even more the next day.”
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Another added, “Those evil bastards at Larian love twisting the knife.”
Optimists among the players clung to hope, with one saying, “Don’t worry. I’m sure someone will find a way to break the game to keep her.” Another said they hoped that the modders would fix it.
Patch 7 also adds a modding toolkit for Baldur’s Gate 3, so we might still see Alfira join the party full-time – official or not.
As Baldur’s Gate 3 wraps up its patching saga, we bid farewell to quirky patch notes letting us know a new Show Cinematic Nudity toggle can keep our playthroughs “very demure, very mindful.”
With Larian shifting focus to new projects far from Faerun, players will cherish the memories – and the mods – that keep the spirit of Alfira alive.