A game with a scale as massive as Baldur’s Gate 3 is bound to have a point of no return, after which players are unable to access certain areas or quests. This is done to progress the story further once the previous area is wiped clean of quests, treasuries, and enemies. Baldur’s Gate 3 has multiple points of no return, corresponding to its three acts.
Baldur’s Gate 3 points of no return
Each act in Baldur’s Gate 3 has a point of no return. Once you cross that, you can’t do the quests of that act or even go back to that act’s map. Each map or act of BG3 essentially acts as a different game with no way to travel between them. Once you have progressed beyond the point of no return, the story will proceed according to the choices you made, good or bad.
When you are about to trigger a point of no return, BG3 displays a warning message that there is no going back if you proceed beyond this point. If you are under-leveled for the content ahead, it will also tell you that the enemies ahead present a higher challenge than your current level.
Point of no returns in Act 1
Act 1 of BG3 is a bit complicated when it comes to the point of no return. There are essentially two points of no returns in Act 1, one that acts as a soft-lock and progresses certain storylines, while the second one locks you out completely from Act 1 content and begins Act 2 of BG3.
The first point of no return, soft lock, happens when you enter the Mountain Pass or take the boat to Grymforge in the Underdark. Entering the Mountain Pass to reach Githyanki Creche or leaving on the boat at Decreptic Village Beach near the Myconid Circle will trigger the first point of no return. However, even if you do trigger this point, you can always go back to the previous areas.
For example, if you entered Grymforge, you can complete all the content there, but instead of taking the elevator to reach Shadow Cursed Lands in Act 2, you can go back to the Wilderness and then travel to the Mountain Pass to complete the content there.
However, when you trigger this soft lock or the first point of no return in Act 1 of BG3, you do get locked out of certain quests, and they reach their conclusion. The events of the Druid Grove and Goblin Camp are a big example of this. That conflict will reach a resolution, and you miss out on some quests.
The 2nd point of no return in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3 is triggered once you enter the Shadow Cursed Lands, either through the Mountain Pass (after meeting Elminster Aumar or taking the elevator in Grymforge after freeing True Soul Nere). Once you trigger any of these events, there is no going back to the map or quests of Act 1.
Point of no returns in Act 2
A bit similar to Act 1’s point of no return. Once you complete the Trials of Shar in Gauntlet of Shar, you will be able to enter the Shadowfell and decide what to do with Nightsong. Entering Shadowfell acts as a soft point of no return in BG3. Some quests, like saving the prisoners in Moonrise Towers or Isobel’s kidnapping, get resolved, or you fail them.
Once you defeat Ketheric Thorm and travel towards the city of Baldur’s Gate and the town of Rivington, that starts Act 3 of the game and locks you out of all the content in the Shadow Cursed Lands.
Act 3 point of no return
Act 3 has just one point of no return in BG3, which happens near the end of the game. After getting all the Netherstones and when you are about to confront the Elder Brain, the game will warn you that you can’t go back beyond this point. However, there are still a lot of time-sensitive quests in Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3. So make sure you do all the side content first before gathering all the Netherstones and reaching the point of no return.
