Forget this GTA 6 stuff, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 just got a hot new update

There's a lot going on this week, folks. Monday saw a thick glut of Steam Machine news, and today Rockstar switched on the Grand Theft Auto 6 info-hose. I am here to tell you not to care about any of it. Here's the real story: Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 have got new patches.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition, and Icewind Dale—Edition? You better believe it's Enhanced—all just got a new 2.7 patch courtesy of Beamdog. This is the patch that entered beta last February, now available for all and sundry. Well, I suppose the beta was also available to all and sundry, but now all and sundry are getting it whether they click a button or not.

It's a doozy of a patch, too. Beamdog says that it's focused on quality-of-life updates for the Infinity Engine games this far out (14 years) from their Enhanced Edition releases. The two big ones in 2.7 are: Steam cloud saves that work how they ought to (GOG cloud saves work "properly," too) and Apple Silicon support on Mac.

Cloud saves on Steam are now controlled by Steam. That is to say, if you toggle them off in your Steam client settings for BG:EE, they will be off. Turn them on? They'll be on. You might think, "Surely it always worked like this?" but you'd be wrong. Previously, cloud saves were configured in the gameplay menu for the games themselves—the Steam client settings were a kind of vestigial organ. Which is very counterintuitive and not how pretty much every other game on Steam works, so this is a welcome change.

Apple Silicon support, meanwhile, means the games will now run natively on Apple's ARM-based Mac hardware. This was almost certainly done because Apple is set to phase out its Rosetta 2 translation software that lets x86-based applications run on the company's M-series chips (though it does promise to keep it for some older and unmaintained bits of software). Anyway, it's good news—I can't pretend these games didn't already run like a dream on my M1-series MacBook Air, but now they'll be even dreamier, and potentially a little lighter on the ol' battery.

I am as ever very pleased to see these classics continue to get care and attention. Here are the full patch notes for 2.7:

Key Features in the 2.7 Patch

  • Steam Cloud Saves: Now controlled via the Steam client. Previously, the only way to enable or disable Steam Cloud Saves for BG1:EE, BG2:EE, and IWD:EE was within the Gameplay Options of the games.
  • GOG Galaxy Cloud Saves: Now functioning properly.
  • Apple Silicon Support: Native support for Apple Silicon on Mac devices, leading to faster app launch times, improved performance, and potentially longer battery life.
  • New Localizations: Added community-translated languages for BG:SoD (Chinese, Korean, Russian), BGII (Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Ukrainian), and IWD (Hungarian, Japanese).
  • Dynamic Language Support: Changes to allow easier language updates and additions in the future.
  • Chinese Font Change: At the request of the Chinese localization volunteers, the font has been changed for Chinese.
  • Font Size Saved Per Language: The Font Size zoom setting is now saved per font language.
  • Indexing Fix: Resolved an off-by-one error in rebuilt BIF files that affected some community tools.
  • iOS Restore Purchases: The "Restore Purchases" button has returned, allowing the game to sync with Apple’s purchase history.
  • Mobile Keyboard Improvements: The UI now shifts to keep the text cursor visible above the virtual keyboard, preventing cursor loss and mis-registered taps on iOS and Android.
  • Android Foldable Support: Fixed UI scaling and touch-input issues on foldable and tall-aspect devices.
  • Android Character Export: Exporting a character now also places the file into a user-accessible directory.
  • iOS Modding Support: The game now stores and reads data from a location visible to standard file browsers.
  • Android Override Folder Optimization: Fixed long boot delays caused by large /override/ folders. Importing is manual via an in-game UI.
  • Android DLC Display Fix: The Fists of the Fallen DLC for BG2 now correctly shows as installed.

These updates not only enhance the technical performance of the games but also bring them closer to modern standards in terms of usability and accessibility. For long-time fans and newcomers alike, this patch is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Baldur's Gate series and the commitment of Beamdog to keep these classic RPGs alive and thriving.