Baldur’s Gate 3 has experienced a notable surge in player numbers on Steam following the release of the much-anticipated Patch 8. This update has positioned developer Larian Studios favorably as they shift their focus to their next major project.
Patch 8, which launched last week, introduced 12 new subclasses and a new photo mode to Baldur's Gate 3. This significant update drew fans back to the game, eager to explore the new features. Over the weekend, the game achieved a concurrent peak of 169,267 players on Steam—a remarkable achievement for a single-player focused RPG in its second year. Note that player numbers for PlayStation and Xbox are not publicly disclosed by Sony and Microsoft.
Reflecting on Patch 8's impact, Larian's CEO, Swen Vincke, shared his optimism on Twitter. He believes that Baldur’s Gate 3 will continue to thrive due to the player surge from Patch 8 and the robust modding community. This success provides Larian with the opportunity to concentrate on developing their next big project, which Vincke acknowledges will have "big shoes to fill."
Vincke expressed satisfaction with the game's current state, noting, "Patch 8 got a lot of people playing again. It took a lot of development effort but I'm happy we did it." He further emphasized the importance of the thriving mod support, suggesting that it will sustain the game's popularity for some time, allowing Larian to focus on their upcoming project.
Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, concluding a successful period for Larian. The game launched to critical acclaim and achieved significant commercial success in 2023, maintaining strong sales through 2024 and into 2025.
Larian surprised the gaming community by announcing their departure from the Baldur’s Gate series and Dungeons & Dragons to work on a new, undisclosed game. They initiated a media blackout to focus on this mysterious project.
Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has hinted at future plans for the Baldur’s Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, mentioned that with Larian moving on, there is significant interest in the franchise. Hasbro is currently formulating their future strategy and expects to share more details soon.
Ayoub did not specify whether these plans involve a new full-scale Baldur’s Gate game or a crossover similar to previous collaborations, like the one with Magic: The Gathering. However, he expressed a desire for a Baldur’s Gate 4, acknowledging that such a project would take considerable time and a careful approach. He stated, "We're not in a hurry... We're going to take a very measured approach... We're starting to think about, okay, yeah, we're ready to start dipping toes a little bit and talking about a few things."
