Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 is here as the D&D RPG's final update, but it looks like the infamous portrait bug still isn't going anywhere

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Why do my companions look like they're in a Zoom call?

Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
(Image credit: Larian Studios)

It's official. The long-awaited arrival of Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 is finally upon us, adding various features to the Dungeons & Dragons RPG while simultaneously fixing many of its notorious bugs – except one of the game's most hilarious.

Patch 8 is here, bringing everything from cross-play to 12 new subclasses, such as the Circle of Stars Druid, to Baldur's Gate 3. Amid all of the major new features are also countless bug fixes, addressing well-known issues like the infamous armor nip slips – but there remains one undefeated bug even after the massive update, and it's the one that transforms Tavs' and their parties' portraits into what fans are aptly describing as "Zoom call" shots.

Everyone's favourite bug is NOT fixed from r/BaldursGate3

A recent Reddit thread highlights the bug, which I've admittedly been experiencing myself since I first played Larian Studios' banger RPG back in 2023, with the poster announcing that "everyone's favourite bug is NOT fixed" following Patch 8. Attached to the text is a funny screenshot showing Shadowheart's bugged portrait, her expression eerily emotionless and her face tucked into the lower corner rather than being centered as usual.

Comments see fans responding with their own amusing screencaps of the Baldur's Gate 3 companions and their bugged portraits, with one stating that they "look like a middle-aged white dude taking a selfie." Another player jokes that the portraits remind them of being on a "meeting call with 3/4 cameras on." Elsewhere, a similar post online sparks my personal favorite description of the silly bug: "They're on a group FaceTime."

While Patch 8 was Larian's "final" update, so to speak, the studio has made clear that it'll still release necessary bug fixes over time, which means there's still a chance that the portraits will look normal one day – although if I'm honest, I sort of hope developers leave just this one issue unresolved. How else will I stare into the soulless eyes of my party members, if not after leveling up when their portraits bug out?

As Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 arrives, Larian Studios releases a new animated short to celebrate the D&D RPG's final update – and it pretty much canonizes my favorite ship

Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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