Update (Mon 11th Dec, 2023): Hopefully we won't have to put up with this for too long! Xbox is pushing out an update today to target the saving issue in BG3, while Larian's 18GB update addresses some "stability" issues.
We've covered this in more detail elsewhere on Pure Xbox:
Original story (Sun 10th Dec, 2023): It's been a couple of days since Baldur's Gate 3 finally launched on Xbox as part of a shadow drop at The Game Awards 2023, and in the few hours we've had with it so far, we've been having an absolute blast with the Series X version.
However, there's currently a bug that's being experienced by quite a few people - and it's definitely a worrying one. In a nutshell, players are finding that their Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox saves are being randomly wiped from existence!
There are numerous reports about this on the Xbox Store right now, and we've also come across multiple threads over on the Baldur's Gate 3 subreddit about it - here are a few of the most troubling examples:
Based on the reports we've seen so far, it appears as though this is actually an issue related to Xbox's cloud saving system, as a lot of players are getting messages saying there's not enough room to save the game. We've run into this issue in the past with Football Manager as well, which is another game that features large save files. Starfield is another example that's caused similar issues for certain players:
The sad part is there's no known way of avoiding this issue in Baldur's Gate 3 at the moment, as players have been trying all kinds of fixes - such as limiting themselves to just one save, reinstalling the game, clearing their local save games and avoiding the Quick Resume feature - but nothing seems to have a 100% success rate as of yet.
There is also a way to connect your Larian account in order to set up cross-saves between the Xbox version and the PC / PS5 versions, but this is causing issues right now as well - some players have mentioned that they can't even open BG3 after activating this feature unless they start the game while offline on their console!
Ultimately, it sounds like Xbox and Larian Studios will need to work together to find a fix for this extremely concerning issue. Nobody ever likes losing their save data, but it's especially damaging in such a gigantic RPG as this.
Have you suffered this problem with BG3 on Xbox? Tell us down in the comments section below.
Comments 34
I haven’t played the game yet, but that issue is major for a game like this. Hours of play completely gone…. Very upsetting. Hopefully Larian and Xbox can figure it all out quickly.
I had this save issue start with Dead Space when I saved for the 90th time (no exaggeration - I have issues) and the Xbox wouldn’t let me save anymore (even though the game allowed it) despite making lots of space available. This crossed over into Like a Dragon Gaiden. However deleting all local saves fixed the issue and it hasn’t come back luckily. Hopefully that works for most, if not all people. But of course, those games just stopped you from saving - it sounds like Baldur’s Gate actually deletes the save!
I’m 5 hours in but really don’t want that to happen.
@K1LLEGAL I'm also 5 hours in and staying put for now until we get some kind of confirmed resolution. Absolutely loving the game and really don't want to start again!
I encountered the bug with linking a Larian account. Had to log in through their website and remove the connection to my Xbox account before the game would load.
@FraserG Yea you’ve scared me now. I’m excited to continue but very wary now. What if we save every 15 minutes in a new slot, does it delete them all? Or just the slot you try and save in?
Removed - trolling/baiting
I see the - “it’s Sonys’ fault” line coming out. Maybe the game was rushed out because MS wanted it out before 2023 and therefore wasn’t fully ready.
I had this happen with The Callisto Protocol.
But... Wasn't the game delayed on Xbox solely because the problems about the split screen? And only on Series S?
Game of the year, it seems...
It happens with a few games. As others have mentioned. Starfield recently amongst others.
But Larian always come across as open and seem to try and fix things quickly, so fingers crossed for those affected they sort it ASAP
Haven’t had any issues yet but good to know. I also have the PS5 version. Might continue playing there until this is resolved.
GOTY everyone, and people say AAA gaming is doomed.
As mentioned in the article, this doesn't appear to be anything to do with the game specifically - it seems to be a conflict with the Xbox cloud saving system, which tends to cause problems when the save files for a game are particularly large.
@K1LLEGAL I can't say for sure, but I've seen people trying different strategies with their saves and still falling prey to it 😕
...Soo, in.about 6 months and hopefully on sale too. Definitely not in a hurry for this just yet.
I haven't played it yet but this is awful for a game of this type. It's not like losing a couple of trophies on Mario Kart. Larian and Xbox need to fix this immediately.
I remember my friend saving over my original Xbox Fable save. The time I lost, I nearly cried about.
@Onlyboxmatters 😂😂😂😂😂
@Sol4ris TBH... Wait longer than 6th months. I said wait until ultimate edition releases with all the DLC, and the removed content that they'll add back.
That’s why I always wait for a couple months after launch to buy any game, give developers time to fix bugs…
The PS5 version released broken too, just saying. I had a really rough time starting it when it launched after all the incredible hype and my PC-based friends singing praises of it. I couldn’t even play the game for the first two weeks because it just wouldn’t play without crashing or my character getting stuck somewhere or randomly dying. Larian will fix it, probably quick, but I feel your pain. I do feel like it’s hard to get on the “omg BG3 is perfect best game ever” bandwagon, given the bugs it had. It IS a great game though, just be patient.
Outstanding performance. Brilliant execution!
You'd think with all the time they had they could have avoided a problem like this. Award winning developer right here, game of the year lol.
Oof that's a rough one. This is why I wait at least a month before buying most games.
I had a similar issue with corrupted saves on PS5 and ended up having to go back several hours. After that, I made sure to a) save the game before I finished playing, b) quit the game fully after playing, and c) load the save when I restarted rather than pressing ‘continue’. I’ve done exactly the same on Xbox and have had no problems, so maybe worth a try - possibly (I’m no expert) it may be something to do with it not being happy with quick resume after the player signs out from the game.
I’m shocked this game is rated so highly. It’s a type of game that I can’t get into.
Suddenly okay with not being able to afford it till after Christmas.
No coud saves backups?
Good that I have waited but I have heard similar stories regarding Baldur's gate on other systems (at least on PC)
I had a similar issue with Football Manager 2024. It refused to auto save and I had to delete my save everytime then save manually. Fortunately nothing corrupted and the manual save always worked. Still concerning though. Long and short of it, definitely an issue with Microsoft cloud saves somewhere along the line.
OOF! That is a major issue in a game like this, even if the game isn't the cause. Hopefully they fix this soon, and fingers crossed they can even apply retroactively, though that rarely happens. Will hold off for now.
I had this issue with the last Plague Tale. Contacted both the support of Microsoft and the publisher, but got no answer back. Lost hours of play. I suspect it's an issue with quick resume (which is awesome) and the way cloud saves are handled.
Glad this is being dragged out in the open now. They could ignore little old me no problem, but this time they will have to act.
yeah I think I can wait a bit longer before buying this
This game is a critical miss in so many areas. You hear about how there are 1000+ bug fixes in each one of the patches that come out on other platforms and then you wonder how it made so many people’s and critics game of the year.
Then you play it and it works then you realize why. Had a great split screen session last night with my wife. It was a great time.
I had an issue with Remnant 2. About three hours in and an item that my character was supposed to pick up, he didn't. I couldn't open a door to proceed. Read online some other gamers had the same issue. I'll wait on Baldur's Gate until they fix whatever is going on.
Wow didn’t realize the issue was for all cloud game saves… hope the fix works for all games going forward… lucky have not bumped into it yet it seems….
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...