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This guide is about companion relationships in Baldur’s Gate 3. Larian describes those relationships as responsive to what you do, say, and side with—but the available official sources do not provide a complete, current list of choices that raise or lower approval for every companion. This guide explains what is established, what not to assume, and how to approach companion decisions without mistaking approval for a universal romance switch.
How companion relationships work
Larian says companions have distinct personalities, goals, and motivations, and that their relationships react to the player’s actions, dialogue, and allegiances. In practical terms, there is no reliable one-size-fits-all answer such as “always choose the kind option”: a response that suits one character may conflict with another character’s priorities.
Lead writer Sarah Baylus put the design emphasis this way in Larian’s Community Update #7: “At the end of the day this remains a D&D game and the most important character in a game of D&D is you.” The game’s relationships are part of a broader role-playing system, not a checklist of universally correct answers.
Approval is not the same as a romance requirement
Do not treat a high approval score as a guarantee that a romance will begin. Larian’s Patch 4 notes give a specific example: Lae’zel’s romance decision requires sufficiently high approval and that the player has proved themselves through their actions. Approval and other character-specific requirements can therefore both matter.
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That example is not a complete list of romance prerequisites, nor does it establish that every companion follows the same rules. A companion’s quest, story choices, and relationship progression may involve requirements beyond approval; the available official sources do not establish a universal formula.
What the official update record establishes
Larian announced on April 15, 2025, that Patch 8 would be Baldur’s Gate 3’s final major game patch, while noting that minor bug fixes could continue. Its announcement includes an approval-related bug-fix example. That announcement is a useful date boundary, not proof that every approval interaction has remained unchanged since then. For version-sensitive details, consult Larian’s later official patch notes as well as the game version you are playing.
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Why this guide does not list approval choices for every companion
A September 5, 2026 secondary guide matching the phrase “Companion Approval Guide” describes approval as hidden and says it affects dialogue, romance options, and story development. Those claims may help explain what players mean when they ask about approval, but they are not confirmation from Larian. The reviewed official material does not verify a complete companion-by-companion list of approval changes, exact values, or thresholds.
For that reason, this guide does not assign approval points to specific dialogue choices or present an unverified list as current fact. It also does not assume that only companions in the active party react, or that camp decisions never affect approval: those specific claims are not established by the official sources cited here.
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How to make companion decisions without a checklist
- Pay attention to the character’s priorities. Use what the companion has said, done, and asked of you as context for their likely reaction. Larian’s relationship-design description supports this character-specific approach, but it does not promise a particular approval change for a particular choice.
- Separate relationship choices from quest outcomes. A decision can affect a companion’s story or the wider plot without being a simple approval gain or loss. Consider what the choice means for the character and the story, rather than treating every consequential branch as a score adjustment.
- Keep romance requirements distinct. A favorable relationship alone may not meet a companion’s romance conditions. Lae’zel’s Patch 4 example expressly combines approval with proving yourself through actions; do not generalize that exact condition to every companion.
- Check your game’s version for patch-sensitive details. Patch 8 was announced as the final major patch in April 2025, but Larian allowed for continued minor fixes. If a guide claims a specific interaction works a certain way, compare its version and date with your own game and official patch notes.
Sources and scope
- Larian Studios, Community Update #7: relationship-design context and the statement attributed to lead writer Sarah Baylus.
- Larian Studios, Patch 8 announcement, April 15, 2025: final-major-patch announcement and an approval-related fix example.
- Larian Studios, Patch 4 notes: Lae’zel romance qualification involving approval and actions.
- HowToPlayHub, September 5, 2026: secondary exact-title match; its detailed approval claims are not treated here as officially verified.
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