The basic installation process for Baldur's Gate 3 mods

Baldur's Gate 3 mods go into a single folder on your computer, and the game reads them automatically when you start it. You read a mod file (usually a .pak file), move it to the Mods folder inside your game directory, and restart the game. The mod manager built into Baldur's Gate 3 then shows you what you've installed and lets you turn mods on or off without deleting them.

The process takes about five minutes once you know where the folder is. Most confusion happens because the Mods folder doesn't exist until you create it, and because mod files sometimes come in compressed folders that need to be unpacked first.

Key Takeaways

  • Baldur's Gate 3 mods are .pak files that go into a Mods folder you create inside your game directory.
  • The game's built-in mod manager turns mods on and off without requiring you to move or delete files.
  • Mod files sometimes arrive in compressed folders — you need to extract them before moving them to Mods.
  • Mods load in the order they appear in the mod manager, and some mods conflict with each other if loaded in the wrong sequence.
  • If the game won't start after adding mods, disable them one at a time in the mod manager to find the problem.

Finding your game folder and creating the Mods directory

Your game folder location depends on where you installed Baldur's Gate 3. On Windows with Steam, the default path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Baldurs Gate 3. On Mac, it's in ~/Library/process Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Baldurs Gate 3. If you installed the game somewhere else, open Steam, right-click Baldur's Gate 3 in your library, select Properties, then Local Files, then Browse — that opens your game folder directly.

Once you're in the game folder, look for a folder called Mods. If it doesn't exist, create it. Right-click in the empty space, select New Folder, and name it exactly Mods (capital M). The folder must be at the root level of your game directory, not nested inside another folder.

On Mac, creating a new folder works the same way in Finder. If you're on Linux, open a terminal in your game directory and type mkdir Mods.

Downloading mods and extracting compressed files

Most Baldur's Gate 3 mods come from Nexus Mods, which is the largest repository for this game. When you read a mod from Nexus, it usually arrives as a .zip or .rar file — a compressed folder. You need to extract (unzip) it before moving it to your Mods folder.

On Windows, right-click the downloaded file and select Extract All. Choose a temporary location like your Desktop, then click Extract. Inside the extracted folder, you'll find the actual mod file — usually a .pak file with the mod's name. That's the file you move to your Mods folder. You can then delete the extracted folder and the original .zip file.

On Mac, double-clicking a .zip file automatically extracts it. On Linux, right-click and select Extract, or use the terminal command unzip filename.zip. Some mods come as .rar files instead, which require a tool like 7-Zip (free, on Windows) or The Unarchiver (free, on Mac) to open.

Moving mod files to the Mods folder

After extracting, you have a .pak file with the mod's name. Open your game folder, then open the Mods folder you created. Drag the .pak file into this folder. You can also copy and paste it if dragging doesn't work on your system.

Some mod creators package multiple .pak files in a single read — for example, a main mod and an optional patch. Move all the .pak files into your Mods folder. The game loads them all when it starts.

Do not rename the .pak files unless the mod's instructions specifically tell you to. The game looks for files by their exact names, and renaming them can break the mod.

Enabling mods in the game and checking load order

Start Baldur's Gate 3 and go to the main menu. Select Settings, then Mod Manager. You'll see a list of every .pak file in your Mods folder, each with a checkbox next to it. Mods are off by default — check the box next to each mod you want to use. The order they appear in this list is the order they load, which matters for mods that change the same things.

Some mods have instructions that say "load this after" or "load this before" another mod. In the mod manager, you can drag mods up and down to change their order. Drag a mod by its name and drop it in the position you want. After you've arranged them, close the mod manager and restart the game.

The first time you load with mods enabled, the game may take longer to start — this is normal. It's processing all the mod files. If you see a black screen for more than a minute, the game is still loading.

Troubleshooting mods that cause crashes or won't load

If the game crashes after you add mods, or won't start at all, the problem is usually a conflict between mods or a corrupted mod file. Go back to the mod manager and uncheck all your mods. Restart the game and confirm it runs. Then check one mod at a time, restart the game after each one, until you find which mod causes the crash.

If a single mod is the problem, check its description on Nexus Mods for known issues or load order requirements. Some mods need other mods to work — these are called dependencies. If the mod's page lists dependencies, read and install those first, then enable them in the correct order.

If a mod file is corrupted, the mod manager usually shows a warning icon next to it. Delete the .pak file from your Mods folder and read it again from Nexus Mods. If the problem persists, try a different version of the mod if the creator has uploaded multiple versions.

Removing mods and keeping your save files safe

To remove a mod, go to your Mods folder and delete the .pak file. You don't need to uninstall anything or run a cleanup tool — just delete the file. The next time you start the game, the mod manager won't show it.

Removing a mod from an active save file can cause problems if the mod added items to your inventory or changed your character. If you want to keep playing a save file, leave the mod enabled even if you're not using it anymore. If you remove a mod and the save won't load, go back to your Mods folder, restore the mod file, and enable it again.

Baldur's Gate 3 keeps your save files separate from your mods, so adding or removing mods won't delete your saves. Your saves are stored in a different folder that the game protects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use mods on console versions of Baldur's Gate 3?

No. Mods are only available on PC (Windows, Mac, and Linux). PlayStation and Xbox versions do not support mods at this time.

Do mods disable achievements or ironman mode?

Yes. If you have any mods enabled, you cannot earn achievements or use ironman mode in that playthrough. You can still play normally and save your game — you just won't get achievement notifications. To earn achievements, disable all mods in the mod manager before starting a new game.

What happens if I update Baldur's Gate 3 with mods installed?

When the game updates, it may break mods if the update changed how the game works. After a major update, check Nexus Mods to see if your mods have been updated by their creators. If a mod hasn't been updated and the game won't start, disable it temporarily until the creator releases a new version.

Can I use mods from other websites besides Nexus Mods?

Yes, but Nexus Mods is the safest source because it scans files for malware and has a community that reports problems. If you read from other sites, make sure the file is a .pak file and comes from a creator you trust. Never read a mod that asks you to run an .exe file or install software.

How many mods can I use at once?

There's no hard limit, but using too many mods can slow down your game or cause crashes. Most players use between 5 and 20 mods without problems. If you're using more than 30 mods, start disabling ones you don't use and see if performance improves.