Finally, after all these years, fans of the Baldur’s Gate series can now enjoy the third installment of this long-running series created by folks over at BioWare. Developed and published by Belgian video game development developers Larian Studios, the game was previously under Steam’s Early Access program since 2020 and saw its official launch on August 3, 2023. Since then, there’s been nothing but wide praise for both the game and the studio. However, like any newly released title, Baldur’s Gate 3 too suffers from bugs and errors. And this guide focuses on the one where Scratch wouldn’t fetch balls when thrown.
In case you didn’t know, Scratch is one of the two animal companions in BG3 you can obtain. The Owlbear cub is the other one. To recruit him to your party, you can check out this guide here. Now, one of the great things about BG3 is that it not only lets you pet Scratch but also play fetch with him. But for some players, Scratch doesn’t seem to be fetching the balls when thrown. And so, here’s a guide that will help you deal with this issue.
Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) Scratch Not Fetching Ball Issue: Is there any fix yet
Currently, the game hasn’t received any kind of fix related to fixing this issue in particular. So until that becomes available, you can try the following workarounds and see if the issue persists.
Restart BG3 –
A simple explanation for why you might be encountering this issue could simply be that the game is not functioning properly. In such cases, a quick restart of the game is all you need to fix the issue. So, restart the game and check whether Scratch fetches the ball when thrown. If he doesn’t, then try the next workaround.
Right-click on the ball and throw –
Another reason behind this issue could be that you aren’t correctly throwing the ball. To play fetch with Scratch, you need to go into your inventory, right-click on the ball, and select the “Throw Item” option. The ball will squeak when thrown, prompting Scratch to run after it and fetch it.
Let Scratch find the ball first –
If you did throw the ball correctly but are still encountering this issue, we suggest you let Scratch find the ball first. Once he finds it, let him come and hand over the ball to you. He will have the ball in his mouth when he comes to you. Interact with him to take away the ball.
Throw the ball far away, not at Scratch –
Some players have this notion that they need to throw the ball at Scratch. This is indeed incorrect. Players need to throw the ball far away and not toward Scratch. Don’t try to hit the dog with the ball, as it might make him agitated. Simply throw it in any other direction.
Wait until an exclamation mark appears on Scratch’s head –
At your camp, look for an exclamation mark above Scratch. This indicates that he’s ready to play fetch and so on. If you don’t find it appearing for some time, take a long rest until the mark appears. Additionally, ensure that you talk with everybody at the camp and complete their cutscenes so that the game can initiate Scratch’s cutscenes.
Update the game –
So far, Baldur’s Gate 3 has received only one hotfix patch update, with more on the way. Now, we can’t guarantee that updating BG3 will eliminate this issue, but you should still give this method a try. So, go to Steam/GoG, and check whether there is a pending update for the game. If there is, download and install it.
Contact support –
If nothing else works, then it’s high time you let support take a look at the issue. They might just be able to provide you with additional workarounds. For details on how to submit bug reports of BG3, visit here.
That said, we hope that the workarounds shared will be helpful in fixing this issue in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you find this guide useful, follow DigiStatement for more such content. Also, read: Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) UI Disappearing Bug: Is There Any Fix Yet?
