Xbox "has identified" Baldur's Gate 3 save bug cause, firmware fix incoming

It looks like the save bug that's been causing headaches for Baldur's Gate 3 players on Xbox since launch will soon be no more, with developer Larian announcing Microsoft has identified the cause and will be issuing a firmware fix next week.

Xbox fans rejoiced when Baldur's Gate 3 surprised-launched at the end of last year following an extended delay related to split-screen co-op, but things got off to a bumpy start, with some players soon reporting their saves were being lost after crashing - a frankly horrifying prospect for a title as lengthy and involved as Baldur's Gate 3.

Unfortunately, the issue has continued to persist in the weeks since; Larian recently offered a workaround to help players avoid the save issue, but noted that a permanent fix would require a firmware update from Microsoft, which was still in the works.

Finally, though, that long-awaited fix is almost here. "Microsoft have identified the cause of the save bug on Xbox, and will be issuing a firmware update to fix it," Larian announced on social media earlier today. "You'll be able to update your console manually on the 16th of January," it added, "or wait a week longer for the update to roll out globally".

The caveat to all this is that Larian notes it's been unable to independently verify Microsoft's fix as yet, but the developer says it's "optimistic that Microsoft have gotten to the bottom of" the problem. Fingers crossed, eh?

Of course, the save bug isn't the only issue Baldur's Gate 3 players on Xbox have encountered since the game's launch; some have also reported receiving bans after their consoles auto-uploaded clips of in-game nudity to Microsoft's servers without them realising. Larian called the suspensions "annoying and uncool" and has worked with Microsoft to get them reversed. However, an update from Microsoft earlier this week suggests it has no intention of re-examining the way auto-uploading is implemented on its consoles to prevent similar instances in the future, and merely recommends players disable the feature to avoid further bans.