Baldur’s Gate 3 has long been praised for improving on almost every aspect of Larian Studios’ previous hit, Divinity: Original Sin 2 – except for one major omission: there’s no Game Master mode. In Divinity: Original Sin 2, this feature let a designated player act like a tabletop Dungeon Master, shaping the world, creating quests, and guiding other players through custom adventures.
It was essentially a digital Dungeons & Dragons session brought to life.
Given that Baldur’s Gate 3 is officially built on the D&D license, many expected the same mode to return. However, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke explained years ago that implementing it would have taken enormous time and resources, and with BG3 already becoming an even bigger project than its predecessor, the idea was shelved.
Now, thanks to modding tools released last year, modder 786r786 has created a workaround in the form of the Versus Mode mod, available on Nexus Mods and mod.io. While not as fully featured as the original Game Master mode, it gives the host of an online game the power to control enemy creatures during combat. When an enemy’s turn begins, the host can take direct command by clicking the blue enemy portraits – effectively turning PvE into a PvP showdown.
This mod is designed for multiplayer sessions with at least two players. The host should spectate until combat begins, at which point they can seize control of the enemies to challenge the other players. It’s a clever twist that injects unpredictability and strategy into BG3 battles, and while it’s still a far cry from the original Game Master mode, it’s a promising step toward something even closer in the future.