Larian Studios has officially announced that the much-awaited Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 will launch on Tuesday, April 15. This update, which has been rigorously tested in a stress test environment, is now ready for all players to experience next week.
Patch 8 introduces an extensive array of new content to the critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Players can look forward to exploring 12 new subclasses, along with exciting features like a photo mode, cross-play functionality, and split-screen support for Xbox Series S. For a detailed breakdown, check out the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 new subclasses: ---------------------------------------Bard - College of Glamour
As a member of the College of Glamour, Bards wield the power to heal allies and control enemies. The Mantle of Inspiration spell grants allies 5 temporary hit points, and when cast, it can Charm an attacking enemy. With Mantle of Majesty, you can command these charmed foes to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or relinquish their weapons.
Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants empowers Barbarians with immense strength, making it easier to hurl allies and adversaries alike. The Giant’s Rage passive not only boosts your size but also your strength, enhancing Throw attack damage. Plus, enjoy an increased carry capacity, making inventory management a breeze.
Cleric - Death Domain
Clerics of the Death Domain delve into darker arts, wielding spells focused on necrotic damage and introducing three new necromancy cantrips. Toll The Dead rings a bell of doom, dealing 1~8 damage that increases against pre-damaged targets. Additionally, a new homebrewed ability allows you to detonate nearby corpses, inflicting damage on surrounding enemies.
Druid - Circle of Stars
Circle of Stars Druids harness celestial powers beyond traditional wildshapes. They can assume one of three Starry Forms - the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon - each tailored to different combat styles. The Archer shoots astral arrows for radiant damage, the Chalice restores hit points, and the Dragon enhances constitution rolls while dealing damage, offering versatile strategies for healing, fighting, or strategizing.
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Paladins sworn to the Oath of the Crown are dedicated to upholding the law. With Righteous Clarity, you can guide your allies in battle, while Divine Allegiance lets you absorb damage for your party, simultaneously restoring their health.
Fighter - Arcane Archer
Arcane Archers blend magic with archery, gaining unique skills and new shooting animations. You can banish foes to the Feywild for a turn or deal Psychic damage that may blind enemies unless they pass a Wisdom saving throw.
Monk - Drunken Master
The Drunken Master Monk can consume alcohol from their inventory or the Sword Coast to recover Ki. Intoxicating Strike allows you to share a drink with enemies, boosting your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets. Additionally, Sobering Realisation can sober up and damage drunk enemies.
Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers command three types of swarms: Cloud of Jellyfish for lightning damage, Flurry of Moths for Psychic damage and potential blindness, and Legion of Bees for piercing damage and knockback. Each swarm also grants teleportation capabilities.
Rogue - Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues embrace a piratical flair with actions like Blinding enemies with sand, Disarming them with a flick of your weapon, and using Fancy Footwork to avoid opportunity attacks after melee strikes.
Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness, gaining Superior Darkvision and the ability to Shadow Walk between dim light or darkness. They can summon the Hound of Ill Omen to harass foes and use Strength of the Grave to avoid being downed, perfect for Honour Mode challenges.
Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks forge pacts with Shadowfell entities, manifesting magical weapons. You can curse enemies, raise their spirits from slain corpses for ten turns to deal necrotic damage, and heal your Warlock by siphoning the enemy's soul.
Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards merge swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new spellcasting animations and the Bladesong ability, which enhances speed, agility, focus, and Constitution saving throws.
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Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, concluding a triumphant journey for Larian Studios. Launched to critical acclaim and commercial success in 2023, the game has maintained strong sales into 2025.
Larian's decision to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons to develop a new, undisclosed game has sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Following this announcement, the studio imposed a media blackout to focus on their upcoming project.
Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has hinted at future plans for the Baldur's Gate series. In an interview with IGN at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, mentioned that with Larian moving on, "a lot of people [are] very interested in Baldur's Gate." While he didn't specify whether this would lead to a new installment or a crossover, Ayoub expressed his desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, though he acknowledged that such a project would take time.
"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," Ayoub remarked. "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. And I think, in really short order, like I said, again, not to over-tease that point, we're going to have some other things to talk about around that."
To celebrate the release of Patch 8, Larian Studios will host a Twitch livestream featuring senior systems designer Ross Stephens, who will delve into the patch's new features and enhancements.
