Larian Studios has officially announced that the much-anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 will launch on Tuesday, April 15. This update, which has been in stress test form for some time, is now ready for all players to enjoy. Baldur's Gate 3, the record-breaking Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, is set to receive a significant content update with Patch 8, including 12 new subclasses, a photo mode, cross-play, and Xbox Series S split-screen capabilities. For detailed information, you can review the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 new subclasses: ---------------------------------------Bard - College of Glamour
As a College of Glamour Bard, you can harness the power to heal allies and command foes. With Mantle of Inspiration, you can grant your allies 5 temporary hit points, and any enemy attacking during this effect will be Charmed. Utilize Mantle of Majesty to command Charmed enemies to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or relinquish their weapon.
Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants gives your Barbarian increased strength and size through the Giant’s Rage passive, enabling you to deal more damage with Throw attacks and carry more weight. It's a game-changer for those who love to 'yeet' their opponents.
Cleric - Death Domain
Clerics of the Death Domain gain access to spells dealing necrotic damage and three new necromancy cantrips, including Toll The Dead, which causes 1-8 damage, scaling with pre-existing damage on the target. Additionally, you can now explode nearby corpses to damage enemies, adding a strategic edge to your gameplay.
Druid - Circle of Stars
Circle of Stars Druids draw power from celestial bodies, assuming one of three Starry Forms - the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each form caters to different strategies: the Archer deals radiant damage, the Chalice restores hit points, and the Dragon boosts constitution rolls, enhancing your role as a healer, fighter, or strategist.
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Sworn to uphold the law, Oath of the Crown Paladins can guide their companions with Righteous Clarity, taunt enemies with strategic interrupts, and bolster their party with Divine Allegiance, absorbing damage while restoring health.
Fighter - Arcane Archer
Arcane Archers blend magic with marksmanship, featuring new shooting animations and abilities like banishing foes to the Feywild or causing Psychic damage that may blind enemies.
Monk - Drunken Master
Drunken Masters can consume alcohol from their inventory or around the Sword Coast to recover Ki. With Intoxicating Strike, you can share a bottle with enemies, boosting your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets. Additionally, Sobering Realisation deals physical and Psychic damage to sober up drunk enemies.
Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers can summon 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 with a knockback effect. Each swarm also offers teleportation capabilities.
Rogue - Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues can engage in dirty tactics like blinding enemies with sand, disarming them with a flick of their weapon, or using Fancy Footwork to prevent opportunity attacks during melee.
Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness with Superior Darkvision and the ability to Shadow Walk between dim light or darkness areas. They can summon the Hound of Ill Omen and use Strength of the Grave to avoid being downed, perfect for Honour Mode challenges.
Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks form a pact with a Shadowfell entity, wielding magical weapons to curse enemies and raise spirits from slain foes for ten turns. These summoned spirits deal necrotic damage and heal the Warlock by siphoning the enemy's soul.
Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards combine swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new animations and the Bladesong ability for increased speed, agility, and focus, along with a bonus to Constitution saving throws.
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Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, closing a chapter on a game that launched to critical acclaim and commercial success in 2023, continuing to thrive into 2025. Larian Studios surprised the gaming community by announcing their departure from Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dungeons & Dragons universe to focus on a new, undisclosed project, entering a media blackout to concentrate on development.
Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has hinted at plans to continue the Baldur's Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, expressed interest in the franchise's future. He mentioned that "a lot of people [are] very interested in Baldur's Gate" and that Hasbro is "working out [their] plans" for what's next. While Ayoub did not confirm a new Baldur's Gate game, he did express a desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, acknowledging that it would be a long-term project.
"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," he noted. "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."
To celebrate the release of Patch 8, Larian will host a Twitch livestream where senior systems designer Ross Stephens will detail the changes and new additions to the game.
