Critical bug BG2:EE ToB (Win11/Steam) - Please Help !

Abishag

Dear Beamdog Community,
I'm close to the end of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition - Throne of Bhaal
Unfortunately, I'm experiencing a f***g bug that completely block my game - only option to escape is ctrl+alt+suppr
Any suggestion/support/magic would be very welcome !!

I'm playing on Windows11
BG2:EE clean install on STEAM (up-to-date 2.6 version)
No MOD.

Save game attached.
Simply activate the bottom seal to reproduce the bug.

I am at the end of Chapter 9 (Balthazar killed already)
Currently in Watcher's Keep, down at the last lvl before the Imprisoned One.
I have the Spirit Key to open/activate the very last seal (bottom seal)
When I do so, I receive the expected XP + message, I get a short cutscene (UI being removed) with the text message on the seal as expected, but.... nothing happens.
I was prepared to fight Azamantes, but no Lich is summoned, no flaming skulls, nothing...
and the UI does not come back ! I'm somehow stuck in the cutscene...
Time is passing, buffs expire, but nothing happens.
And with UI deactivated then I even cannot reload a saved game without a ctrl+alt+suppr (sic)

Quite frustrating, I must say.
Please Help !

Abishag

WTF ...after 4 or 5 times reproducing the same bug, doing again and again ctrl+alt+suppr + relaunching BG2
trying with various quick saves... always facing the same issue.

And suddenly, with the very same game save already failed 3 times, it works !
I did nothing different. It just works (the Lich is summoned and my UI is back)

Thanks for your magic ! What an efficient forum this is !!!!!

jmerry

Cutscenes breaking like that are definitely a problem. But it's not a reliable bug; it's a glitch that just reloading and doing it again will get past (unless there are mod shenanigans breaking cutscenes, like I did to myself in my current run).

Unfortunately, once you're in a broken cutscene, the only way to move on is to force quit.