BG3 Mod Manager (BG3MM) is a portable Windows tool for arranging Baldur’s Gate 3’s .pak mods and exporting the load order the game reads. The current official release is 1.0.12.7, released May 8, 2026. Download it only from the project’s official GitHub releases page; the project says it has no separate official website.
The most common problems are incorrect paths, missing .NET 8 or Visual C++ components, exporting without selecting a campaign, placing files in subfolders, and forgetting to restart the game after exporting.
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What you need before installing BG3 Mod Manager
- A Windows installation of Baldur’s Gate 3.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 launched at least once, so it can create its profile and Mods folders.
- .NET 8.0.
- The current Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
- A writable folder for the portable BG3MM application.
Current BG3MM releases require .NET 8. Guides that list only .NET Framework 4.7.2 are outdated. Having .NET 9 installed does not replace the .NET 8 requirement. Check the release page for the current runtime requirements.
The Tool Desk
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- Download
BG3ModManager_Latest.zipfrom the official GitHub releases page. - Extract the archive to a folder where your Windows account can create and edit files, such as a folder in your user profile.
- Do not extract it to
Program Filesor another protected directory. Windows permissions can stop the portable manager from writing its configuration or exported files. - Run
BG3ModManager.exe.
BG3MM is portable: it does not need a traditional installer. The official project repository is available at github.com/LaughingLeader/BG3ModManager.
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Set the correct BG3MM paths
BG3MM may detect the game automatically. If it does not, open Settings → Preferences and set the paths manually, then click Save.
Game Data Path
Set Game Data Path to Baldur’s Gate 3’s actual Data directory—the folder containing files such as Gustav.pak. Do not select:
- the game’s
bindirectory; - the
Launcherdirectory; - your user
Modsdirectory.
Typical game files are arranged like this:
Baldurs Gate 3DataGustav.pak
Baldurs Gate 3binbg3.exe
Baldurs Gate 3binbg3_dx11.exe
Baldurs Gate 3LauncherLariLauncher.exeThe separate executables are documented by Nexus Mods’ Baldur’s Gate 3 technical documentation. The exact drive and parent folders depend on whether you use Steam, GOG, or another supported installation.
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User Mods directory
Standard user-installed .pak files belong directly in:
%LOCALAPPDATA%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3ModsThe load-order file for the standard Public profile is:
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%LOCALAPPDATA%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3PlayerProfilesPublicmodsettings.lsxIf these folders do not exist, launch Baldur’s Gate 3 once and close it before configuring BG3MM.
Install a .pak mod correctly
- Download the mod from its author’s stated source.
- Extract the archive if necessary.
- Place the mod’s
.pakfile directly in the userModsfolder. - Check the mod’s instructions for dependencies, Script Extender requirements, and compatibility with your game version.
- Open BG3MM and refresh its contents.
A normal .pak mod should contain a meta.lsx file with its metadata. Do not assume every mod belongs in the user Mods folder: mods that are not .pak files may need to be installed in the game’s Data or bin directory. The author’s installation instructions take precedence. The BG3 Wiki mod-installation guide explains this distinction.
Arrange and export the load order
- Start
BG3ModManager.exe. - Open Settings → Preferences if paths need correcting.
- Click Save after changing a path.
- Click the toolbar Refresh button to load campaign data and installed mods.
- Select the Public profile.
- Select a campaign, normally Main.
- Move the required mods into the active-mods list and arrange them according to their installation notes.
- Export the order with the first toolbar export button, labelled Export Load Order to Game or Export to Game, depending on the version and control. You can also use File → Export Order to Game.
- Close or restart Baldur’s Gate 3 before testing the change.
Exporting writes the sorted list to modsettings.lsx. The game reads that list when it starts; changing the order while the game is already running does not change the active session.
How load order works
When two mods modify the same content, the mod loaded later generally wins the conflict. This makes order important for compatibility patches and mods that override another mod. Versioned dependencies can be declared in a mod’s meta.lsx; the game attempts to load those dependencies before the dependent mod.
There is no universal order that works for every mod list. Follow each mod author’s instructions, put compatibility patches after the mods they patch, and avoid treating alphabetical order as a compatibility rule.
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Fix: BG3 resets or disables the load order
1. Remove subfolders from the user Mods directory
Check:
%LOCALAPPDATA%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3ModsFor ordinary .pak mods, the files should be directly inside that directory. Subfolders can cause the game to reset modsettings.lsx. Move the .pak files out of nested folders unless a mod’s own instructions explicitly require a different location.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2. Find the mod causing an error
If the load order resets every time the game starts, BG3MM indicates that one or more installed mods may be producing an error. Temporarily remove recently added or updated mods, export a smaller known-good list, and restart the game. Add removed mods back in small groups until the failing mod or combination is identified.
3. Delete ModCrashSanityCheck through BG3MM
Patch 8 Hotfix 1/Hotfix 30 introduced a problem where this directory could cause the game to deactivate mods that appeared enabled in the in-game manager but had been activated externally:
%LOCALAPPDATA%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3ModCrashSanityCheckCurrent BG3MM releases include Delete ModCrashSanityCheck, enabled by default. The option deletes that directory during load-order export. If externally activated mods keep becoming disabled, verify that the option is enabled and export again.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix: the main menu will not load
Make sure a campaign is selected before exporting. In BG3MM, select the Public profile and then select Main under the campaign selector. An exported modsettings.lsx without a campaign can prevent the main-menu scene from loading or cause other initialization problems.
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After selecting the campaign, export again and restart the game. If the problem remains, test with a minimal mod list and add mods back gradually.
Fix: mods do not appear in BG3
- Confirm that the
.pakfiles are directly in%LOCALAPPDATA%Larian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3Mods. - Confirm that BG3MM’s Game Data Path points to the game’s
Datafolder containingGustav.pak. - Do not point Game Data Path at
bin,Launcher, or the user Mods folder. - Open Settings → Preferences, correct the path, click Save, and restart BG3MM.
- Click Refresh.
- Select Public and the Main campaign.
- Ensure the mods are in the active list, then export to the game.
- Restart Baldur’s Gate 3.
If the mod is not a .pak, stop and read its installation instructions. A Data- or bin-based mod will not work merely because it was copied to the user Mods directory.
Fix: BG3MM will not start or cannot write files
- Install .NET 8.0.
- Install the current Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
- Move the extracted BG3MM folder out of
Program Filesor another protected location. - Run the copy extracted from
BG3ModManager_Latest.zip, rather than trying to run the executable from inside the archive.
A .NET 9 installation alone is not a substitute for the current release’s .NET 8 requirement.
Install Script Extender from BG3MM
In current BG3MM versions, open:
Tools -> Download & Extract the Script ExtenderThe current changelog says BG3MM highlights this command when a mod requires Script Extender and it is not installed. Script Extender is a separate requirement from ordinary .pak placement, so check the individual mod’s requirements before installing it.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 added official Mod.io-based mod support in Patch 7 in September 2024. The in-game manager can download, enable, and remove supported Mod.io mods. Third-party mods are still recognized by the game, but they are not officially supported in the same way.
BG3MM remains useful when you need detailed control over third-party .pak files, dependencies, overrides, and exported load order. The game still represents that order in modsettings.lsx. Using the in-game manager and BG3MM together requires care: after either tool changes the active list, verify the result and restart the game.
Quick Recap
Quick troubleshooting checklist
- Are you using the current official BG3MM release, 1.0.12.7?
- Are .NET 8.0 and Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable installed?
- Is BG3MM extracted to a writable folder?
- Has Baldur’s Gate 3 been launched once?
- Does Game Data Path point to the folder containing
Gustav.pak? - Are ordinary
.pakfiles directly inside the user Mods folder? - Did you click Save after changing Preferences?
- Did you restart BG3MM and click Refresh?
- Is the Public profile selected?
- Is the Main campaign selected before export?
- Did you export with File → Export Order to Game or the toolbar export control?
- Did you restart the game after exporting?
- Is Delete ModCrashSanityCheck enabled if the game keeps disabling externally activated mods?
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