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The City Awaits

The City Awaits is a story-related milestone in Baldur's Gate 3 that marks the completion of Act 2 and the party's arrival in Rivington at the beginning of the journey toward Baldur's Gate.

RoleAct 2 completion and Act 3 transition milestone
Statusautomatically completed through main-story progression
Importancecore
RewardStory-related achievement or trophy
TimePart of the main-story transition
  • Entity typeQuest milestone
  • Story chapterAct 2 completion
  • Next chapterAct 3
  • Typical triggerArrival in Rivington
  • MissableNo
  • Direct combat requirementNone specified

The City Awaits is best understood as a story-linked achievement or trophy condition, not as a standalone combat encounter.

Key takeawaysSpoilers

Use these points to identify what The City Awaits means for a playthrough.

  • It is a progression milestone The City Awaits represents successful completion of Act 2 rather than a conventional quest with its own independent objectives.
  • The trigger is automatic There is no special item, character, or optional interaction required to unlock it once the relevant main-story progress has been made.
  • Prepare before leaving Because the transition closes Act 2 waypoints and serves as a point of no return for Act 2 locations, finish any intended regional business before departing.
  • Rivington is the practical marker Arrival in Rivington is the point at which players typically see this milestone register and recognize that the journey toward Baldur's Gate has begun.

The City Awaits overviewSpoilers

The City Awaits is the story-related achievement and trophy milestone associated with completing Act 2 in Baldur's Gate 3 and moving into Act 3.

The milestone is tied to the end of the Act 2 chapter rather than to a separate optional task. It signifies that the party has completed the principal section of the story associated with the Shadow-Cursed Lands and is continuing toward the city that gives the milestone its name.

Players typically receive The City Awaits after leaving the Shadow-Cursed Lands and arriving in Rivington. The arrival functions as the visible transition point: the party has moved beyond the Act 2 region and begun the approach toward Baldur's Gate.

The milestone is unmissable because it occurs automatically through main-story progression. It does not require a particular companion, item, dialogue selection, or side objective, although the transition has important planning implications for anyone who still intends to finish activities in Act 2 locations.

The move also closes access to the Act 2 waypoints as part of the story's progression. In practical terms, The City Awaits should be treated as a definitive point of no return for Act 2 locations, including the plot threads connected with Moonrise Towers.

Where this sitsSpoilers

Act 2 conclusionThe Moonrise Towers story lines reach their transition point.
Regional departureThe party leaves the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
Arrival markerThe milestone typically unlocks in Rivington.
Act 3 approachThe journey toward Baldur's Gate begins.
  1. 1Complete Act 2 story progressmain-storyAdvance the main storyline far enough to leave the Act 2 region.
  2. 2Leave the Shadow-Cursed LandstransitionCross the story transition out of the region.
  3. ●Arrive in RivingtoncurrentThis is the usual trigger point for The City Awaits.
  4. 4Continue toward Baldur's Gatemain-storyThe narrative proceeds into the Act 3 portion of the journey.

The City Awaits sits at the boundary between the end of Act 2 and the beginning of the route toward Baldur's Gate.

Requirements

The milestone requires story progress, not a particular build or inventory item.

  • RequiredComplete Act 2 progressionAdvance the main storyline through the Act 2 material associated with the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • RequiredLeave the Shadow-Cursed LandsThe milestone is tied to the transition out of the region and the party's movement toward Act 3.
  • RecommendedReach RivingtonPlayers typically see the achievement or trophy unlock after arriving in Rivington.
  • OptionalNo special item or characterThe supplied information identifies no directly required item or character for the trigger.

ObjectivesSpoilers

  1. Finish the Act 2 story transitionReach the point at which the campaign is ready to move beyond the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  2. Leave the Shadow-Cursed LandsThe regional departure is the key narrative condition associated with the milestone.
  3. Arrive in RivingtonUse arrival in Rivington as the practical point at which to check whether The City Awaits has registered.
  4. Begin the journey toward Baldur's GateAfter the milestone appears, the campaign has entered the next stage of its main-story route.

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Complete Act 2 progression

    Finish the Act 2 storyline

    Continue the main story until the Act 2 sequence is complete and the game permits the party to move on from the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The milestone is not triggered by a separate quest interaction, so focus on the campaign's required progression rather than searching for a hidden activator.

    Location: Act 2

    TipBefore committing to the regional departure, review anything you still want to resolve in Act 2 locations.

  2. 02

    Cross the Act 2-to-Act 3 transition

    Leave the Shadow-Cursed Lands

    Take the story route out of the Shadow-Cursed Lands once the Act 2 progression is complete. This departure is the important transition for The City Awaits; it is also the point after which the Act 2 waypoints are closed as part of the campaign's progression.

    Location: Shadow-Cursed Lands

    Watch outTreat this departure as a point of no return for Act 2 locations and do not leave unfinished regional content behind if you intend to complete it.

    Checkpoint
  3. 03

    Trigger The City Awaits

    Arrive in Rivington

    Continue through the transition until the party reaches Rivington. Players typically unlock The City Awaits on arrival, so allow the area to load and check the achievement or trophy notification before assuming that the milestone has not registered.

    Location: Rivington

    TipThe trigger is automatic; no particular companion, item, or dialogue choice is required.

  4. 04

    Begin Act 3 progression

    Continue toward Baldur's Gate

    Once The City Awaits has registered, proceed with the campaign's route toward Baldur's Gate. The milestone confirms the end of the Act 2 chapter and is not followed by a separate reward chest or boss encounter attached specifically to this entry.

    Location: Rivington

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanicsSpoilers

The City Awaits uses a progression-based trigger rather than a conventional quest mechanic. Its condition is satisfied by completing the relevant Act 2 story progress and moving out of the Shadow-Cursed Lands, with Rivington serving as the usual point at which the achievement or trophy appears.

There is no stated combat encounter, puzzle, inventory check, or companion requirement attached directly to the milestone. This makes it different from objectives that can be failed through a missed interaction: the meaningful risk is leaving Act 2 locations before completing content the player wanted to handle there.

The transition has world-state consequences for navigation. Act 2 waypoints are closed when the story advances beyond the region, so players should interpret the trigger as a chapter boundary rather than merely a notification that can be ignored.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • The trigger is automatic once the relevant main-story transition is completed.
  • The milestone clearly communicates that Act 2 has concluded and the next chapter is underway.
  • It does not depend on a specific item, character, build, or combat strategy.

Weaknesses

  • It does not identify which optional Act 2 activities a player may have left unfinished.
  • The notification arrives at a chapter boundary where Act 2 waypoints are no longer available.
  • It offers no separate gameplay encounter or standalone objective beyond the campaign transition.

Best uses

  • Use it as a save-management marker before committing to the next chapter.
  • Use the Rivington arrival as a quick check that Act 2 completion has registered.
  • Use the milestone to organize a guide's Act 2 and Act 3 navigation.

Completion checklistSpoilers

  • Complete the relevant Act 2 main-story progressionThe milestone is tied to the end of Act 2.
  • Review unfinished activities in Act 2 locationsDo this before leaving because the transition closes Act 2 waypoints.Optional
  • Leave the Shadow-Cursed LandsThis is the regional transition associated with the trigger.
  • Reach RivingtonThe milestone typically unlocks after arrival.
  • Confirm the achievement or trophy notificationThe City Awaits should register automatically rather than through a manual interaction.
  • Create a post-transition saveThis preserves a clear point after Act 2 has ended and the Act 3 journey has begun.Optional

Failure conditionsSpoilers

  • The milestone is not triggered yetThe party has not completed the required Act 2 story progression or has not reached the transition point associated with leaving the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
  • Act 2 content is left behindThis is not a failure of The City Awaits itself, but leaving for Rivington closes the Act 2 waypoints and can prevent normal return to Act 2 locations.
  • A player expects a manual activationThere is no separate item, character interaction, or activation step identified for this achievement or trophy.

On failure

Because the milestone is unmissable through main-story progression, the practical precaution is to keep a save before leaving Act 2 if unfinished regional content matters to the playthrough.

Rewards and drops

  • The City Awaits achievement or trophy
    The story-related achievement or trophy is awarded automatically when the relevant Act 2-to-Act 3 progression condition is met.
  • Act 3 story access
    Successful completion of the transition opens the campaign's continued journey toward Baldur's Gate.

AftermathSpoilers

Make your Act 2 decisions before leaving

The City Awaits is more than an achievement notification: it marks the closure of Act 2 waypoints and the end of the Moonrise Towers-related chapter. If you have regional objectives you want to complete, handle them before leaving the Shadow-Cursed Lands for Rivington.

Trivia

  • The City Awaits is presented as both a story-related achievement and a trophy milestone.
  • Its name reflects the campaign's movement toward Baldur's Gate rather than naming a combat encounter or collectible.
  • The milestone is unmissable because it is awarded through normal main-story progression.

Sources

Relationships

story progression

  • Shadow-Cursed LandsRegion departedThe party leaves the Shadow-Cursed Lands before The City Awaits typically unlocks.
  • Baldur's GateJourney continues towardAfter the transition, the campaign continues toward Baldur's Gate.

locations

  • RivingtonTypical trigger locationArrival in Rivington is the usual point associated with the milestone.
  • Moonrise TowersAct 2 plot contextThe milestone represents the conclusion of plot lines associated with Moonrise Towers.