After nearly three years in Steam Early Access, Baldur’s Gate 3’s full release is finally here and all is well. Or is it? The game’s great but recently, some people have been told their save file is from an incompatible version of the game. That’s not something you’d expect from a post Early Access product. So if that’s you, here’s the answer to fix the incompatible version save load error in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Here’s What to Do About Your BG3 Incompatible Version Save Load Error
The incompatible version message occurs because you’re trying to load a save file that was created using a newer version of Baldur’s Gate 3 than the one you’ve got installed. How does that happen? Time travel aside, you’ll get this if someone has sent you a copy of their save file and you try loading it into an older, un-updated version of BG3. That’s one possible cause.
However, the most likely reason is that you saved your game when you were running the faulty Hotfix 4 build. Larian Studios has been regularly updating BG3 with small patches known as hotfixes.Their initial release of Hotfix 4 was faulty, causing crashes.
So, a few hours after they put Hotfix 4 out, they rolled it back. If you saved your game during the period when your version of BG3 had auto-installed the old Hotfix 4, you won’t be able to load that saved game into the current (Hotfix 3) version of BG3.
How can you fix this? There are only two fixes. You can try loading earlier saves till you find one that works. Or, you can wait for Larian Studios to update the game to the new, non-broken Hotfix 4 (it’s due shortly). Then, you should be able to load in your game and it’ll work.
It’s not an ideal situation but on the subject of how to fix your incompatible version save load error in Baldur’s Gate 3, but that’s everything you need to know.
For more on BG3, check out our explainer on the latest controversy surrounding the game. And if you’re just starting out, watch Destructoid’s excellent beginner’s guide to Baldur’s Gate 3.
