Beamdog LIVE - Tune in Dec. 1, 2017 at 10am PST!

We can't wait to show off our new set up!

UPDATE: Due to some scheduling conflicts, the stream has been moved to 10am PST on an ongoing basis. Sorry for the confusion!

Get the latest Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition news and updates on other Beamdog projects on our weekly livestream! Tune in on Beamdog's Twitch channel Friday December 1st @11:30am 10am PST to ask questions and win prizes!

Join Beamdog Studio CEO Trent Oster and Studio Director Phil Daigle as they talk about the latest Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Head Start update and field NWN:EE questions from the community. Don't worry Infinity Engine fans, we'll have more to share about patch 2.5 too! These are busy times at Beamdog!

Come for the news, stay for developer stories and prize giveaways!

Can't make it? We'll have the stream up on YouTube shortly after we wrap up.

Five Years of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition!

Happy fifth birthday, BG:EE!

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition! It’s been a privilege for the whole Beamdog team to work on such an iconic title as Baldur’s Gate. 

A note from Beamdog CEO Trent Oster: 

“Five years of Enhanced Editions already. Wow, time certainly flies. We’re still patching the games and we’re still making them better. The Enhanced Editions of today are much evolved from our first release and we’re looking forward to the future. The 2.5 update is going to be a doozy and we’re really anxious to finish up the backlog and get it to our fans.”

A lot has happened since Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition first launched; over the last five years we’ve added new languages, fixes, features, an expansion pack and more. Updates started November 28, 2012 with v1.0.2012 adding roll total to the ability screen when creating a new character. Shortly after, the 1.0.2014 update introduced five new class kits (Dwarven Defender, Shadowdancer, Dragon Disciple, Dark Moon Monk and Sun Soul Monk). The Multiplayer Match-Making system appeared in v1.20.0. Then the 1.3.2053 patch implemented the Quickloot feature, while the 2.0 brought the Shaman class to BG:EE along with the new Cleric kit (Priest of Tyr) and a huge UI redesign. And, with the 2.5 patch just around the corner, the journey isn’t over yet!

And you know what? All these changes, all these fixes, all these neat new in-game tricks wouldn’t have been possible without YOU. Your support, bug reports, feedback, and your attention to details is outstanding. We’re lucky, as developers, to have such amazing and caring players as you.

In anticipation of this anniversary, we held a Fan Art Contest, and now it’s time to announce the winners! Before we start though, we have to say it really means a lot to see that the Beamdog community is so creative and that they’re willing to share that talent with us!

It was a very difficult to choose a favorite, but we’re proud to announce that Dynaheir, approximately four and a half seconds away from tossing a spell at Edwin's face, by Serabiet, is the Beamdog’s Choice Prize Winner.

Thou shalt not question my will once I present thy neck to the othlor! ~ Dynaheir

Serabiet will receive a special MYSTERY swag pack including a Digital Deluxe copy of our upcoming release, Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition! Congratulations!

We’ve also decided to reward Shaydh, Kirara and Buttercheese (who all tied as a close second for the Beamdog’s Choice. All three will receive a copy of NWN:EE, as testament to the quality of their submissions.

The Siege of Dragonspear Baeloth comic, by shaydh

As part of deciding Beamdog’s Choice, the team shared a few comments for the participants of the 2017 Infinity Engine Fan Art Contest: Enhanced Edition:

“I'm absolutely blown away by the talent of our fans, it's been making me smile every time to look at the thread. That people would put so much time and effort into making these submissions is inspiring, this kind of stuff is what makes game development worth it! (I can't wait to try making my own Bhaalin' Stuffed Avocado)” - Beamdog Designer, Alexei Pepers

“Wow, all of these submissions are amazing. Big thanks to all the people who submitted. There is such a talented group of fans around the Infinity Engine.” - Beamdog CTO, Scott Brooks

Magnificent Firkraag watching over his domain, by Kirara

“I love the variety! Pencil, colours, embossed leather, avocado--there is no medium untapped! Personal favorite: Annah about to carve a cutter.” - Beamdog QA Team Lead MarkR

“The "Minsc, Boo and Gram the Sword of Grief, by s0ulafein" made me giggle, Boo is so ferocious! :) Clearly going for the eyes.” - Beamdog QA

“My personal favourite was ‘Imoen and Haer'Dalis are ready to fight, by EmiDeClam’ - great piece!” - Beamdog Team Member

“Wonderful contest, I'm not very vocal in our community but it always makes me happy to see people engaging with fan art. Everyone who participated deserves a thumbs up!” - Beamdog Team Member

All Bad Things Must Come To An End, by Buttercheese

“A great collection of absolutely spectacular entries that make me proud to have worked in this world.” - Beamdog Team Member

Go for the eyes, Boo. GO FOR THE EYES! RrraaaAAGHGHH!

Minsc, Boo and Gram the Sword of Grief, by s0ulafein, is the winner of the Grand Prize (the Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Collector’s Edition signed by the team, no less), chosen by forum members. The deciding votes for it arrived during the last twenty-four hours of the voting period, to make it 66 votes for the winner. Congratulations, s0ulafein!

You must gather the party before venturing forth.

A notebook leather cover, by CRUXPL, is the first of the three runners up, scoring 64 votes. It’s an amazing cover for a notebook if you’re planning a new adventure on the Sword Coast!

The Watcher’s Keep is beautiful in Autumn!

Seldar enhanced the in-game picture of Watcher’s Keep and added colors of Autumn to the area. This lovely result got him 50 votes!

What story will the Crumbling Chapel tell?

The Crumbling Chapel, Infinity Engine inspired area art, by SFisch, received 49 votes. According to SFisch, these games inspired him to learn how to Photoshop portraits, how to 3D model, how to make music, and have completely altered his life’s course (for the better, of course). We certainly feel the inspiration, SFisch.

Congratulations, CRUXPL, Seldar and SFisch, for winning 3 Runners-Up Prize Packages which will include their choice of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition / Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition / Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition physical copies, OR a digital version of Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition, OR a digital version of Siege of Dragonspear, OR their choice of an Enhanced Edition on mobile with all the DLCs.

We congratulate not only all the winners, but all the participants of the contest. Your fan art is a reminder of how important the legacy of Infinity Engine games is. Everyone who took part in the contest will get a special forum badge as a small token of gratitude from us in the weeks ahead.

What’s next for Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and the other Infinity Engine games? Patch 2.5 for BG:EE, BGII:EE, and IWD:EE is coming soon! Watch out for more details here, on the forums, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch!

Beamdog on Twitch - Friday Nov 24

One livestream wasn’t enough, so get ready for another! Want to know more about what's coming for Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition? Tune in on Beamdog's Twitch channel Friday November 24 @ 11:30am PST to find out! Join Beamdog Studio CEO Trent Oster, Director Phil Daigle, and Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Project Director Jonathan Hill in the first of a series of weekly livestreams. Come for NWN:EE news, stay for prize giveaways! Not a Neverwinter Nights fan? Tune in anyway! We’ll be sharing more about what’s coming down the line for our Infinity Engine Enhanced Editions!

Getting Your Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Head Start

You’ve pre-ordered Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition on Beamdog! Now it’s time to get a Head Start!

First download the Head Start package here: https://www.beamdog.com/products/neverwinter-nights-head-start-english …\

Or if you’ve pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe version get this one: https://www.beamdog.com/products/neverwinter-nights-head-start-digital-deluxe …

Next, get the Beamdog Client. You'll need this to access Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition.

Now, you should have a Head Start option available in this drop down menu. Select it and a short download may occur if you haven’t already installed the latest version of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. 

If you don’t see a Head Start option in the Beamdog Client, you may need to restart the client.

You should now be able to play Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition! Have fun and don’t forget to leave your feedback in the Beamdog forums! Please let us know if you find any issues in this thread. 

Autumn Sales!

From now until 10am PST November 28, save up to 50% off all our Infinity Engine Enhanced Edition titles and soundtracks on Beamdog and Steam!

UPDATE: Sale pricing on iTunes and Google Play is now live!

Games

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition ~ 50% off!
Beamdog Steam iTunes Google Play

Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam

Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Digital Deluxe ~ 50% off!

Beamdog

Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam iTunes Google Play

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam iTunes Google Play

Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition ~ 25% off!

Beamdog Steam iTunes Google Play

Soundtracks

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition Official Soundtrack ~ 50% off!
Beamdog Steam

Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Official Soundtrack ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam

Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition Official Soundtrack ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition Official Soundtrack ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam

Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition Official Soundtrack ~ 50% off!

Beamdog Steam

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition!

Beamdog is excited to announce the return of a classic! Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition can now be pre-ordered on Beamdog or be wishlisted on Steam!

But first, a note from Beamdog CEO Trent Oster:

“Neverwinter Nights was a unique game that distilled the essence of Dungeons & Dragons and allowed players to build, share and act as Dungeon Master for amazing gaming experiences.I think this unique combination makes Neverwinter Nights one of the most versatile role playing game experiences of all time.

“I invite everyone interested in the future of Neverwinter Nights to join the Beamdog forums. We hope it will become a new home where you can speak directly with the development team. We need to know what YOU want to see Neverwinter Nights become, and we'll do our best to meet and exceed those expectations."

What’s included?

All the content of Neverwinter Nights Diamond Edition!

The original Neverwinter Nights campaign: Find yourself at the center of intrigue, betrayal, and dark magic in Neverwinter Nights. Journey through dangerous cities, monster filled dungeons and deep into uncharted wilderness in search of the cure for a cursed plague ravaging the city of Neverwinter.

Two expansion packs:

• Shadows of Undrentide: Another adventure begins in Shadows of Undrentide! Charged by your master to recover four ancient artifacts, travel from the Silver Marches to unravel mysteries of a long-dead magical civilization.
• Hordes of the Underdark: Continue the adventure started in Shadows of Undrentide and journey into the ever-more bizarre and hostile depths of Undermountain to challenge a gathering evil.

Three premium modules:

Discover over 40 hours of new stories, then go on to sample the hundreds of modules created by community members just like you.

• Kingmaker
• ShadowGuard
• Witch’s Wake

The Aurora Toolset: Build your own world full of unique monsters, items, traps, encounters, and settings, then share your creation with the rest of the Neverwinter Nights community. (Windows only)

Dungeon Master Client: Become the storyteller! Control monsters, creatures, and characters your players will meet over the course of an adventure.

Can't wait? Get a Head Start!

We'll be selecting lucky fans from the pre-order pool on Beamdog for the Head Start program. This is your chance to play NWN:EE, dust off old modules, and update your persistent world servers early! Getting ongoing feedback from experienced fans will help shape the future of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, so let us know what you think!

What’s new? Enhanced Features!

We’ve added an improved display that looks great on modern monitors. Your portrait, combat bar, inventory, and other UI elements now adjust in size based on your chosen resolution and you can select what size scaling you prefer. We’ve also added Advanced Graphics Options! The added pixel shaders and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Now you can choose to enable contrast, vibrance, and depth of field options as you desire.

These new graphic options are open to modders, and we’re already seeing lots of great content from our early testers. We’ve made an effort to ensure NWN:EE is backwards compatible! All your save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights work in the Enhanced Edition.

Check out this gallery of feature comparison screenshots.

And that’s just the start!

Beamdog’s team on this project is a mix of original developers and key members of the Neverwinter Nights community such as Bernhard Stöckner (AKA Niv) from Neverwinter Vault who have come together to curate important fan-requested improvements. Our goal is to support Neverwinter Nights players, storytellers, and modders with ongoing development.

There’s a lot to be excited about and we can’t wait to share more. Tune into the Beamdog Twitch announcement Nov 21. at 12pm PST for more details!

Check out the full list of changes between Neverwinter Nights 1.69 and Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition here!

Have questions? Here’s a handy FAQ! If you don’t see your answer, let us know on Facebook, Twitter or the forum and we’ll answer if we can!

Join the Beamdog community and let us know what you want to see in Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition!

November 21 Beamdog Announcement

A Mysterious Countdown has appeared on Beamdog!

Tune in November 21, 2017 at 12pm PST  to the Beamdog livestream for a big announcement!

Come for the announcement! Stay for developer secrets and prize giveaways!

ARE YOU READY?

A Note About That Planescape Concept Art

A note from Trent on the Planescape concept art going around:

The Beamdog creative and art teams often explore concepts, pitches, and designs touching on different Dungeons & Dragons and unique settings. This was the case of the Planescape: Unraveled character concepts shown in the recently released STORYHIVE Next Level documentary.

At any given time, there are a few of these exploration projects happening in different parts of the studio. They’re typically not shared outside of the company as they can be interpreted as a new project.

We do these exploration projects as a way to find new ways to bring different ideas and creative styles to projects we’re working on. We’ve found it’s a great way to let the creative team stretch themselves and expand their skills. Occasionally, we return to these explorative projects and incorporate them into other things we’re working on.

Does this mean a new Planescape game is currently in the works at at Beamdog? Afraid not, the team is hard at work on other projects at this time. Planescape is an amazing setting that we enjoyed exploring as a part of developing Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition and we’d love to visit it again in the future. Only the Lady of Pain knows if that’ll happen, and she’s not sharing.

October Roundup – Fan Art Contest, PST:EE Update, & More!

October is over, and as usual, things were busy at Beamdog!

Fan Art Contest

The 2017 Infinity Engine Fan-art Contest: Enhanced Edition is well underway and so far, the entries are thoroughly wild! The quality and variety of the submissions is unprecedented. We can’t wait to see what is submitted next!

The Isle of the Tangled Oak, Baldur's Gate inspired area art, by LavaDelVortel

Make sure you vote for your favorite here!

Czech localization for PST:EE

After a brief beta, we’ve added Czech to the list of playable languages for Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition on Steam. We plan to bring that localization to Beamdog, GOG, Mac App Store, Google Play and the iOS App Store in future patches.

Did you participate in the beta? Let us know what you thought!

Chronicle of the Plains of Shale

The latest issue of Dragon+ features a Planescape short story by Chris Avellone, Chronicle of the Plain of Shale. Chris wrote it for Planescape: Torment many years ago, explaining a few artifacts and creatures in the game, but it had never been published. The story is accompanied by art by Eric Campanella and a second and fifth edition Dungeon & Dragons bestiary of creatures unique to Planescape: Torment!

The Infinity Collection Expanded

The Infinity Collection bundle on Steam now includes Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition, the Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition Official Soundtrack, and the Baldur's Gate: Faces of Good and Evil portrait pack. Enjoy everything in one discounted package!

Patches

Work continues on the 2.5 update series for IWD:EE, BG:EE and BGII:EE. Track the progress of public tickets on Redmine and submit any bugs & feature requests you have, or ask our Community Specialist, Julius, to help you out.

Halloween

Halloween is always fun around Beamdog! Nearly half of the office dressed up, although many were unavailable for pictures. Our favorite has to be Hot Dog! Did we mention that Beamdog is dog friendly? Another great perk of working here!

Get the latest Beamdog news on Facebook, Twitter, here on the Beamblog, and in our forums!