MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

The Baldur's Gate 3 community has been very active since the game's launch, celebrating it and everything it offers even now, months after its release. In turn, Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has been equally busy releasing hotfixes, updates, and patches for the game. Set to arrive sometime during the week of February 12 is Patch 6.

While updates are rather standard and hotfixes quickly target major and/or key issues with the game, these patches have been known to add significant content to the game. For example, Baldur's Gate 3 patch 5 added an epilogue that sees Withers gathering the party members months after the end of the game. This allows players to see how their choices have impacted the city, Faerun as a whole, and the direction of each party member's life. Patch 6's exact content remains to be seen, but Larian has promised "improved smooches, new camp idle animations, legendary actions in Honour Mode, and plenty of bug fixes."

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Now, many fans are anticipating the release of the patch and want to know when they can download it. Exact answers are no doubt coming in the next few days, but an update centered around romance in Baldur's Gate 3 has a clear release date: Valentine's Day. For many fans of the game, there's no better way to celebrate the holiday than checking out the new and improved smooches with their companions. It does feel like the obvious answer and could very well prove to be Larian's goal, but fans should keep in mind that development is not always clear-cut. It stands to reason that a Valentine's Day release date is possible, but equally possible is two other dates.

When Will Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 6 Release?

  • Wednesday, February 14, would be well-timed for Valentine's Day.
  • History points toward a February 15/16 release date

While Valentine's Day does feel like the obvious answer for Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 6, it is a holiday that many will be spending with their real-world loved ones. Therefore, it's uncertain how much stock Larian may have put into the date, regardless of how well lined up it is. On the other hand, it's not exactly a holiday that anyone takes off from work either, but there's also the history of the other patches to consider. While hotfixes are all over the place, the release dates of Patches 1-5 are more consistent:

  • Patch 1: August 25 (Friday)
  • Patch 2: August 31 (Thursday)
  • Patch 3: September 22 (Friday)
  • Patch 4: November 2 (Thursday)
  • Patch 5: November 30 (Thursday)
Baldur's Gate 3 Camp Romance

Every patch for Baldur's Gate 3 released so far has either done so on a Thursday or a Friday, and if Valentine's Day was not even in the running, fans would reasonably expect one of these two days more than the other. The iterative nature of game development often results in patterns like this, and while patterns are easily broken, something like a massive patch should not be rushed, not even by a day. It still could be Valentine's Day, but those hoping to spend the holiday in Faerun should not be upset if it falls a day or two later in the week either.

Confirmed Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 6 Content

  • Improved smooches
  • New camp idle animations
  • New Legendary Actions in BG3's Honour Mode
  • Plenty of bug fixes

Ultimately, it's just exciting to see the game get continued support so many months after release. Its original release in August has been supplemented by console releases in September and December, and its popularity has shown no signs of slowing down. Whether it's Valentine's Day, a couple of days after, or even shortly before, there's no doubt many Baldur's Gate 3 players will rush to download the upcoming patch.