Load order is the sequence Baldur's Gate 3 reads your mods, and when two mods change the same record, the one loaded later wins. Put dependencies first, obey any order note the author gives, and when something breaks, test by moving the suspect to the bottom of the list. There is no universal order table for BG3 mods, and any guide that prints one fixed list for every stack is guessing. This guide gives you the rules and the diagnosis instead.
Quick answer
Later wins: when two mods change the same spell, item, or UI element, the mod loaded later overwrites the earlier one.
Dependencies first: install and update frameworks before the content mods that use them, and never disable a dependency because it looks boring.
Author notes beat habit: if a mod page says top of load order or names a position, put it there before experimenting.
Diagnose in small steps: disable in small batches to find the culprit, and move a suspected overwrite to the bottom to test it.
After any game update, update frameworks first, then content mods, and check each mod page's Posts and Bugs sections for breakage reports.
At a glance
Topic: Mod load order and compatibility
Game: Baldur's Gate 3, by Larian Studios
Version: Patch 8 (April 15, 2025), the final major patch
Managers: In-game Mod Manager (official) and BG3 Mod Manager (third-party, PC)
Order record: modsettings.lsx, written when BG3 Mod Manager exports the order (community-documented)
Core rule: Later mods overwrite earlier mods for the same records
Evidence checked: Nexus BG3 top list and Larian forum troubleshooting, October 26, 2026
Last verified: October 26, 2026
1. How load order actually works: two managers, one list
The game reads your mods in a sequence, and both managers work on that same sequence. In the official in-game Mod Manager, introduced with Patch 7, the Installed tab is your campaign's actual mod list: what is enabled there is what the campaign loads. BG3 Mod Manager (BG3MM), the third-party PC tool, exposes the same list as a drag-and-drop order, with Active Mods on one side and Inactive Mods on the other. Installing mods is a separate job and lives in the install guide; this guide starts once mods are installed and the question is what order they load in.
The direction rule is documented twice over, from two independent community sources. Mods at the top of the list load first. Mods at the bottom load last, and when two mods change the same record, the last one loaded overwrites the earlier ones. The Larian forum troubleshooting post states the practical version: move the troublesome mod to the bottom so it loads last and overwrites other mods' changes, and if it then works, a conflict was blocking it. A Nexus mod manager page states the mirror version: mods at the top load first, and the list can be dragged to reorder.
Order is a daily question rather than a one-time setup because a real stack is layered: a framework such as Script Extender, Mod Configuration Menu, or Native Mod Loader at the base, a UI layer above it, content mods above that, and patches stitching them together. The Nexus BG3 top list, checked October 26, 2026, is dominated by exactly those framework and utility mods, which is why the order of frameworks versus content is the first thing to get right.
2. The only order rules you need
Rule one is dependencies first. A content mod can only use what its framework already loaded, so install and update the framework before the content mod that depends on it. When a framework updates, update it before anything that consumes it. The install guide states the same rule for installing; here it applies to ordering, and it is the rule to check first when a stack breaks.
Rule two is that author notes beat habit. If a mod page names a position, such as load before another mod, top of load order, or after a specific mod, that note is part of the mod's requirements. Treat it as required. Set it first, then experiment with the rest of the list around it.
Rule three is that the winner goes last. When two mods edit the same thing and you want one of them to win, the winner loads later, meaning lower in the list. The Larian forum example makes it concrete: a broad spell mod plus a mod that changes a single spell. Put the single-spell mod lower and you keep the broad changes plus that one spell's version.
Rule four is no note, no move. If neither mod's page specifies an order, leave the order the manager produced and change one thing at a time. Random reshuffling creates new suspects faster than it removes them, and a stack that worked yesterday usually broke because something updated, not because the order secretly went wrong.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Situation | Placement | Why |
|---|---|---|
A mod lists a dependency | Dependency above its content mods | The framework must load before anything that uses it |
An author names a position | Exactly that position | The position is part of the mod's requirements |
Two mods change the same record | The one you want to win goes lower | Later loads overwrite earlier loads |
No order note on either page | Leave the manager's order | Unordered moves create new suspects |
A patch just landed | Frameworks first, then content mods | Content built on an outdated framework breaks first |
3. Five conflict types, and how to tell them apart
Most mod conflicts are one of five things. Naming the type decides the fix. Treating them all as reorder until it works wastes hours, because an overwrite, a missing dependency, and a dead framework do not respond to the same move.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Type | Symptom | Tell | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
Same-record overwrite | One mod's change silently missing | Both mods touch the same spell, item, or UI element | Move the winner lower and retest |
Missing or outdated dependency | Content mod does nothing or errors on load | Its page lists a framework you lack or an old version | Install or update the dependency first |
Abandoned framework | UI or feature breaks after a patch | Page marked NOT MAINTAINED, like ImpUI after Patch 8 | Use it only while a mod you run still requires it, otherwise drop it |
Version mismatch after a patch | Mods fail right after a game update | Mod page Posts or Bugs report breakage on the new version | Update frameworks first, then content mods; wait for the author if no update exists |
Platform tag missing | Mod works on PC but not on console or Mac, or a lobby rejects a joiner | Mod Verification flags it missing, disabled, or mismatched | Use only mods tagged for every platform in the lobby |
One thing that looks like a conflict usually is not one: a mod doing nothing because it was never enabled in the Installed list for that campaign is an enablement problem, not an order problem. Check the Installed list first. The install guide covers that check; the order rules above only help once everything is actually enabled.
4. Diagnose a broken stack, step by step
1. Name the symptom: crash on load, wrong values in game, or missing content point to different causes.
Check the campaign’s Installed list for missing or disabled mods before touching the order.
3. Read each suspect's mod page: Patch 8 tag, dependency list, and the Posts and Bugs sections for post-patch breakage reports.
4. Disable in small batches until the problem disappears, so the suspect list stays small.
5. For a suspected overwrite, move the suspect to the bottom and retest: if it works, the order was the conflict.
6. Do not swap in a similarly named fork to replace a missing mod unless its author points to it: a fork is a different mod.
7. Test against a vanilla baseline: if the unmodded game fails the same way, the stack is not the cause.
5. After a game update: what breaks, and in what order to fix it
Patch 8, released April 15, 2025, is the final major patch, so the ground moves less than it used to. Small hotfixes still change game files, though, and a mod built against an older version can break without any change on your side. The fix order is the same as the install order: update shared frameworks and dependencies before the content mods that consume them.
If a mod has no update for the new version, that is the answer. Either wait for the author, or drop the mod for that campaign. Do not force an old framework mod, especially an abandoned one, to load and hope the order saves it: order decides which change wins, it does not repair a broken mod.
Reordering mid-campaign needs the same caution as removing mods. Do not pull classes, races, spells, items, or overhauls out of a long-running save unless the author documents safe removal. Test a new order on a copy or a fresh campaign first, and carry it into the long save only when it works.
FAQ
Is there one correct load order for BG3 mods?
No. Order is per stack: dependencies first, author notes obeyed, and the winner lower. Two stacks with different mods legitimately have different orders, which is why this guide gives rules instead of a fixed table.
Do I need BG3 Mod Manager if I use the in-game manager?
Not for supported mods: the in-game manager handles subscribing, enabling, and the campaign list. BG3 Mod Manager is for Nexus and other third-party PC mods and for explicit drag-and-drop order editing. The install steps are in the install guide.
Why did my mods break right after an update?
Most often a framework or version mismatch: a content mod built on an older framework version, or a mod the author has not updated yet. Update frameworks first, then content mods, and check each mod page's Posts and Bugs sections before reordering anything.
Can I reorder mods in the middle of a campaign?
You can, but test first: try the new order on a copy or a fresh campaign, and keep a clearly named manual save. Never pull classes, races, spells, items, or overhauls out of a long save unless the author documents safe removal.
Two mods change the same thing. Which one wins?
The one loaded later. Move the mod you want to win lower in the list and retest. If the result flips, you have found an overwrite conflict.