Baldur’s Gate 3 Path to Menzoberranzan Mod Aims for First Playable Alpha by June 2026
The world of Baldur’s Gate 3 modding continues to expand with one of the most ambitious fan projects to date. The upcoming Path to Menzoberranzan mod, developed by Lotrich and a team supported by over 1,300 Patreon backers, has shared a new development update confirming that its first playable alpha is targeted for the first half of 2026, likely by June.
The project, which has grown into a large-scale community collaboration, now boasts more than 130 active contributors. According to a recent update shared on the mod’s official Discord channel, the development team is organized under a structured hierarchy. Each branch of production is overseen by a project director, supported by leads and senior members, ensuring consistent progress across all departments, from level design and writing to voice acting and asset creation.
The first playable alpha will include the prologue, designed to match the scale and narrative depth of Baldur’s Gate 3’s opening Nautiloid sequence. Following its release, the team plans to expand the campaign gradually through updates, introducing new areas, quests, and characters based on community feedback and technical feasibility.
As Forgotten Realms fans might infer from the title, Path to Menzoberranzan takes players deep into the Underdark, culminating in the infamous Drow capital city of Menzoberranzan. The mod also reintroduces the mercantile city of Athkatla from Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, offering both familiar nostalgia and entirely new adventures.
The story unfolds across three acts, following a new protagonist with a personal quest intertwined with the overarching narrative. Players can recruit up to eight new companions, each fully voiced, featuring distinct motivations, personal storylines, and romance options.
Act I will center on Athkatla, where players can visit locations such as the Adventurer Mart and explore Jon Irenicus’s abandoned dungeon. Act II begins the perilous descent toward the Underdark, and Act III will take players to the city of Menzoberranzan, recreated with a completely new art direction and environmental design.
The development team has also confirmed several core features for Path to Menzoberranzan:
Fully voiced companions and world NPCs (no AI-generated voices)
Custom concept art and original 3D assets
Handcrafted visual design for Menzoberranzan
Multiple side quests complementing the main story
New items, outfits, and NPC models
An original musical score composed for the mod
While the full release is still years away, the project’s scale and organization reflect a serious commitment to quality storytelling and authentic Dungeons & Dragons world-building.
Other major Baldur’s Gate 3 mods are also in active development, such as The Grand Theater – Sell Your Lute to the Devil, which is currently 25% complete, and Versus Mode, a PvP experience allowing players to battle each other directly.
If Path to Menzoberranzan delivers on its vision, it could become one of the most ambitious fan-made expansions in modern RPG history.
Would you explore a fan-made Baldur’s Gate 3 adventure set in Menzoberranzan, or do you prefer sticking to Larian’s official content? Share your thoughts below.
