Companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 assist you in battles, follow you anywhere you go, and can even become your romantic partner. Generally, though, it takes a while before you can start dating a companion. But one player has cracked the code on how to bed one in less than eight minutes of playtime.
The player in question is none other than Mae, the same speedrunner and YouTuber who finished Baldur’s Gate 3’s story in 10 minutes and three seconds. After learning how to exploit Baldur’s Gate 3 to finish it fast, Mae also set a world record for romancing Lae’zel in seven minutes and 54 seconds.
To seduce Lae’Zel that fast, Mae created a Wizard instead of playing as Gale, but used the same jump strategy to move around Nautiloid as quickly as possible. Mae also made use of the cantrip Mage Hand to skip most of the Prologue’s action and cutscenes.
Afterward, Mae kept jumping through the map until battling the Goblins in front of the Druid’s Emerald Grove. Mae then entered Emerald Grove, skipped more cutscenes, and jumped until meeting Lae’Zel and started a romance in less than eight minutes.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 romance guide: All romanceable companions and how to woo them
“This was originally a 5-hour endeavor, then 2 hours, then 20 minutes, and now 8 minutes,” Mae wrote in a YouTube comment. “Hoping it continues to go further down from here.”
Romancing is not the primary focus of Baldur’s Gate 3, but there is no doubt that other players will try to break Mae’s world record now that they know the method. They better do it fast, though, as there’s a chance Larian Studios will fix the jump exploit in the game’s “first serious patch” that’s underway.
