diff --git a/src/renderer/common/sprite_batch.c b/src/renderer/common/sprite_batch.c
index c957bd42f9..2940a4f3cd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/common/sprite_batch.c
+++ b/src/renderer/common/sprite_batch.c
@@ -89,13 +89,7 @@ void _r_sprite_batch_init(void) {
 	#undef VERTEX_OFS
 	#undef INSTANCE_OFS
 
-	uint capacity;
-
-	if(r_supports(RFEAT_DRAW_INSTANCED_BASE_INSTANCE)) {
-		capacity = 1 << 15;
-	} else {
-		capacity = 1 << 11;
-	}
+	uint capacity = 1 << 11;
 
 	_r_sprite_batch.vbuf = r_vertex_buffer_create(sz_attr * capacity, NULL);
 	r_vertex_buffer_set_debug_label(_r_sprite_batch.vbuf, "Sprite batch vertex buffer");
@@ -165,22 +159,8 @@ void r_flush_sprites(void) {
 		r_cull(_r_sprite_batch.cull_mode);
 	}
 
-	if(_r_sprite_batch.renderer_features & r_feature_bit(RFEAT_DRAW_INSTANCED_BASE_INSTANCE)) {
-		r_draw_model_ptr(&_r_sprite_batch.quad, pending, _r_sprite_batch.base_instance);
-		_r_sprite_batch.base_instance += pending;
-
-		SDL_RWops *stream = r_vertex_buffer_get_stream(_r_sprite_batch.vbuf);
-		size_t remaining = SDL_RWsize(stream) - SDL_RWtell(stream);
-
-		if(remaining < SIZEOF_SPRITE_ATTRIBS) {
-			// log_debug("Invalidating after %u sprites", _r_sprite_batch.base_instance);
-			r_vertex_buffer_invalidate(_r_sprite_batch.vbuf);
-			_r_sprite_batch.base_instance = 0;
-		}
-	} else {
-		r_draw_model_ptr(&_r_sprite_batch.quad, pending, 0);
-		r_vertex_buffer_invalidate(_r_sprite_batch.vbuf);
-	}
+	r_draw_model_ptr(&_r_sprite_batch.quad, pending, 0);
+	r_vertex_buffer_invalidate(_r_sprite_batch.vbuf);
 
 	r_mat_proj_pop();
 	r_state_pop();
@@ -365,11 +345,7 @@ static SDL_RWops *_r_sprite_batch_prepare_buffer(void) {
 
 	if(remaining < SIZEOF_SPRITE_ATTRIBS) {
 		// TODO: maybe it is better to grow the buffer instead?
-
-		if(!r_supports(RFEAT_DRAW_INSTANCED_BASE_INSTANCE)) {
-			log_warn("Vertex buffer exhausted (%zu needed for next sprite, %zu remaining), flush forced", SIZEOF_SPRITE_ATTRIBS, remaining);
-		}
-
+		log_warn("Vertex buffer exhausted (%zu needed for next sprite, %zu remaining), flush forced", SIZEOF_SPRITE_ATTRIBS, remaining);
 		r_flush_sprites();
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/gl33/gl33.c b/src/renderer/gl33/gl33.c
index ae4386febe..6c1ee4635e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/gl33/gl33.c
+++ b/src/renderer/gl33/gl33.c
@@ -292,10 +292,6 @@ static void gl33_init_context(SDL_Window *window) {
 
 	if(glext.instanced_arrays) {
 		R.features |= r_feature_bit(RFEAT_DRAW_INSTANCED);
-
-		if(glext.base_instance) {
-			R.features |= r_feature_bit(RFEAT_DRAW_INSTANCED_BASE_INSTANCE);
-		}
 	}
 
 	if(glext.depth_texture) {
@@ -985,21 +981,14 @@ void gl33_end_draw(void *state) {
 
 static void gl33_draw(VertexArray *varr, Primitive prim, uint firstvert, uint count, uint instances, uint base_instance) {
 	assert(count > 0);
+	assert(base_instance == 0);
 	GLuint gl_prim = gl33_prim_to_gl_prim(prim);
 
 	void *state;
 	gl33_begin_draw(varr, &state);
 
 	if(instances) {
-		if(base_instance) {
-		#ifdef STATIC_GLES3
-			log_fatal("base_instance is not supported");
-		#else
-			glDrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance(gl_prim, firstvert, count, instances, base_instance);
-		#endif
-		} else {
-			glDrawArraysInstanced(gl_prim, firstvert, count, instances);
-		}
+		glDrawArraysInstanced(gl_prim, firstvert, count, instances);
 	} else {
 		glDrawArrays(gl_prim, firstvert, count);
 	}
@@ -1009,6 +998,7 @@ static void gl33_draw(VertexArray *varr, Primitive prim, uint firstvert, uint co
 
 static void gl33_draw_indexed(VertexArray *varr, Primitive prim, uint firstidx, uint count, uint instances, uint base_instance) {
 	assert(count > 0);
+	assert(base_instance == 0);
 	assert(varr->index_attachment != NULL);
 	GLuint gl_prim = gl33_prim_to_gl_prim(prim);
 
@@ -1018,15 +1008,7 @@ static void gl33_draw_indexed(VertexArray *varr, Primitive prim, uint firstidx,
 	uintptr_t iofs = firstidx * sizeof(gl33_ibo_index_t);
 
 	if(instances) {
-		if(base_instance) {
-		#ifdef STATIC_GLES3
-			log_fatal("base_instance is not supported");
-		#else
-			glDrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance(gl_prim, count, GL33_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, (void*)iofs, instances, base_instance);
-		#endif
-		} else {
-			glDrawElementsInstanced(gl_prim, count, GL33_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, (void*)iofs, instances);
-		}
+		glDrawElementsInstanced(gl_prim, count, GL33_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, (void*)iofs, instances);
 	} else {
 		glDrawElements(gl_prim, count, GL33_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, (void*)iofs);
 	}
diff --git a/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.c b/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.c
index 23d3cdb296..3538799fad 100644
--- a/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.c
+++ b/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.c
@@ -37,24 +37,6 @@ struct glext_s glext;
 
 typedef void (*glad_glproc_ptr)(void);
 
-#ifndef STATIC_GLES3
-//
-//	Extension not yet handled by glad
-//
-
-// GL_ANGLE_base_vertex_base_instance
-typedef void (APIENTRYP PFNGLDRAWARRAYSINSTANCEDBASEINSTANCEANGLEPROC)(GLenum mode, GLint first, GLsizei count, GLsizei instanceCount, GLuint baseInstance);
-static PFNGLDRAWARRAYSINSTANCEDBASEINSTANCEANGLEPROC glad_glDrawArraysInstancedBaseInstanceANGLE;
-typedef void (APIENTRYP PFNGLDRAWELEMENTSINSTANCEDBASEVERTEXBASEINSTANCEANGLEPROC)(GLenum mode, GLsizei count, GLenum type, const void *indices, GLsizei instancecount, GLint basevertex, GLuint baseinstance);
-static PFNGLDRAWELEMENTSINSTANCEDBASEVERTEXBASEINSTANCEANGLEPROC glad_glDrawElementsInstancedBaseVertexBaseInstanceANGLE;
-
-APIENTRY
-static void glad_glDrawElementsInstancedBaseInstanceANGLE(GLenum mode, GLsizei count, GLenum type, const void *indices, GLsizei instancecount, GLuint baseinstance) {
-	// shim
-	glad_glDrawElementsInstancedBaseVertexBaseInstanceANGLE(mode, count, type, indices, instancecount, 0, baseinstance);
-}
-#endif
-
 // WEBGL_debug_renderer_info
 const GLenum GL_UNMASKED_VENDOR_WEBGL = 0x9245;
 const GLenum GL_UNMASKED_RENDERER_WEBGL = 0x9246;
@@ -235,47 +217,6 @@ static void glcommon_ext_debug_output(void) {
 	log_warn("Extension not supported");
 }
 
-static void glcommon_ext_base_instance(void) {
-#ifndef STATIC_GLES3
-	if(
-		GL_ATLEAST(4, 2)
-		&& (glext.DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance))
-		&& (glext.DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance))
-	) {
-		glext.base_instance = TSGL_EXTFLAG_NATIVE;
-		log_info("Using core functionality");
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if((glext.base_instance = glcommon_check_extension("GL_ARB_base_instance"))
-		&& (glext.DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance))
-		&& (glext.DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance))
-	) {
-		log_info("Using GL_ARB_base_instance");
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if((glext.base_instance = glcommon_check_extension("GL_EXT_base_instance"))
-		&& (glext.DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstanceEXT))
-		&& (glext.DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstanceEXT))
-	) {
-		log_info("Using GL_EXT_base_instance");
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if((glext.base_instance = glcommon_check_extension("GL_ANGLE_base_vertex_base_instance"))
-		&& (glext.DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawArraysInstancedBaseInstanceANGLE))
-		&& (glext.DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance = GL_FUNC(DrawElementsInstancedBaseInstanceANGLE))
-	) {
-		log_info("Using GL_ANGLE_base_vertex_base_instance");
-		return;
-	}
-#endif
-
-	glext.base_instance = 0;
-	log_warn("Extension not supported");
-}
-
 static void glcommon_ext_pixel_buffer_object(void) {
 #ifdef STATIC_GLES3
 	glext.pixel_buffer_object = TSGL_EXTFLAG_NATIVE;
@@ -913,7 +854,6 @@ void glcommon_check_capabilities(void) {
 		SDL_RWclose(writer);
 	}
 
-	glcommon_ext_base_instance();
 	glcommon_ext_clear_texture();
 	glcommon_ext_color_buffer_float();
 	glcommon_ext_debug_output();
@@ -996,9 +936,6 @@ void glcommon_load_functions(void) {
 			log_fatal("Failed to load OpenGL functions");
 		}
 	}
-
-	glad_glDrawArraysInstancedBaseInstanceANGLE = (PFNGLDRAWARRAYSINSTANCEDBASEINSTANCEANGLEPROC)load_func("glDrawArraysInstancedBaseInstanceANGLE");
-	glad_glDrawElementsInstancedBaseVertexBaseInstanceANGLE = (PFNGLDRAWELEMENTSINSTANCEDBASEVERTEXBASEINSTANCEANGLEPROC)load_func("glDrawElementsInstancedBaseVertexBaseInstanceANGLE");
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.h b/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.h
index 96a12f260e..b7c11a65c4 100644
--- a/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.h
+++ b/src/renderer/glcommon/opengl.h
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ struct glext_s {
 		uchar avoid_sampler_uniform_updates : 1;
 	} issues;
 
-	ext_flag_t base_instance;
 	ext_flag_t clear_texture;
 	ext_flag_t color_buffer_float;
 	ext_flag_t debug_output;
diff --git a/src/renderer/gles20/gles20.c b/src/renderer/gles20/gles20.c
index 0c92bf6022..e3eb418d49 100644
--- a/src/renderer/gles20/gles20.c
+++ b/src/renderer/gles20/gles20.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ static void gles20_init_context(SDL_Window *w) {
 
 static void gles20_draw_indexed(VertexArray *varr, Primitive prim, uint firstidx, uint count, uint instances, uint base_instance) {
 	assert(count > 0);
+	assert(base_instance == 0);
 	assert(varr->index_attachment != NULL);
 	GLuint gl_prim = gl33_prim_to_gl_prim(prim);
 
@@ -40,11 +41,7 @@ static void gles20_draw_indexed(VertexArray *varr, Primitive prim, uint firstidx
 	assert(indices < ibuf->elements + ibuf->num_elements);
 
 	if(instances) {
-		if(base_instance) {
-			glDrawElementsInstancedBaseInstance(gl_prim, count, GLES20_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, indices, instances, base_instance);
-		} else {
-			glDrawElementsInstanced(gl_prim, count, GLES20_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, indices, instances);
-		}
+		glDrawElementsInstanced(gl_prim, count, GLES20_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, indices, instances);
 	} else {
 		glDrawElements(gl_prim, count, GLES20_IBO_GL_DATATYPE, indices);
 	}