How Baldur’s Gate 3 Was Completed in Just Ten Minutes: A Speedrunner’s Journey

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How a Speedrunner Completed Baldur's Gate 3 in Just Ten Minutes

Apologies to our friend Gale.

In a remarkable achievement, a speedrunner has managed to complete Baldur's Gate 3, from the beginning to the end credits, in a little over ten minutes. This is quite impressive considering the game's main story takes around 35.5 hours to complete and 94 hours for a thorough playthrough, as reported by How Long to Beat. Speedrunner Mae accomplished this incredible feat over the weekend by utilizing the character Gale, who possesses an immensely powerful jump ability, and making specific choices that bring the game to its conclusion a bit earlier than expected.

Caution: The following information contains minor spoilers for an early-game ending of Baldur's Gate 3. Continue reading at your own discretion!

Speedrunners are completing all three acts of Baldur's Gate 3 in record time by exploiting a specific ending known as the "false" or "bad" ending. This ending can be triggered in Act 2 by making a particular choice as the character Gale. Gale has a backstory that involves a volatile "condition," and if this condition is triggered in a specific way during Act 2, it results in a Game Over for the party. To achieve the fastest completion time, speedrunners control Gale and rush towards a specific conversation in Act 2, making the necessary choice that leads to the credits rolling and the game being considered "complete."

However, this particular moment in Act 2 occurs quite late in the game. I can attest to this, having played for nearly 30 hours and still not progressing beyond Act 1. In order to reach this point quickly, speedrunners must bypass almost every significant event along the way to Gale's decision. This includes skipping the goblin camp, the Emerald Grove, the entirety of the Underdark, all sidequests, and every companion character except for Shadowheart, who typically joins the party towards the end of Act 1 if not recruited earlier. It is advantageous that Gale possesses exceptional speed, as his Enhanced Leap ability allows for long and far jumps throughout both acts, while Misty Step assists with any necessary stealthy movements.

In a rather astonishing manner, this remarkable speedrun manages to achieve its impressive time with minimal reliance on glitches. According to Mae's explanation in a previous video documenting their record-breaking attempt, the run utilizes a minor AI glitch to bypass a confrontation in the goblin camp. Additionally, they employ the Misty Step ability to cleverly infiltrate the final section of act 2. In their updated run, Mae incorporates the Ice Knife spell to dispatch imps more efficiently and employs strategic positioning to avoid drawing the attention of enemies during the fight in the druid grove.

Which character class have you chosen to play in Baldur's Gate 3? In a nutshell, according to Mae, Gale is a character who never neglects working on his leg strength, possesses exceptional speed, and has the ability to cause a massive explosion.

It is highly likely that speedrunners will find ways to further shorten this run. However, as someone who is not a speedrunner, it is difficult to imagine how. Mae's run is incredibly fast, with the player quickly skipping through cutscenes. This allows viewers to watch without spoiling the game too much, as a lot of content is skipped. Whatever the next step is, it will most likely involve finding a way to get Gale from the Nautiloid to Moonrise Towers even faster.

I suggest taking your time while playing Baldur's Gate 3, just like Mae did, especially if it's your first time playing the game. If you're just starting out and need some guidance, you can refer to our helpful guides on Races and Subraces, Classes and Subclasses, and How to Build a Character. And if you ever find yourself stuck, our walkthrough can provide you with some assistance.

Rebekah Valentine is a seasoned journalist working as a senior reporter for IGN. If you have any stories or tips you'd like to share, you can reach out to her at rvalentine@ign.com.

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