Larian Studios has officially announced that the highly anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 will launch on Tuesday, April 15. After a period of stress testing, the patch is now ready for release to all players, promising a substantial update to the critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
Patch 8 introduces a wealth of new content, including 12 new subclasses that will expand the game's already diverse character customization options. Players can also look forward to new features such as a photo mode, cross-play functionality, and split-screen support on Xbox Series S. For a detailed overview of all the changes, be sure to 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 gain the ability to heal allies and influence enemies. With the Mantle of Inspiration, you can grant your allies 5 temporary hit points, and any enemy attacking during this time becomes Charmed. Utilize Mantle of Majesty to command these Charmed foes to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or disarm themselves.
Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants enhances your Barbarian's strength and size through the Giant’s Rage passive, allowing you to deal additional damage with Throw attacks and increasing your carry capacity. This subclass turns you into a powerhouse on the battlefield.
Cleric - Death Domain
Clerics of the Death Domain can now harness necrotic damage and wield three new necromancy cantrips, including Toll The Dead, which deals 1-8 damage that scales with the target's prior damage. Additionally, a new homebrewed ability lets you detonate nearby corpses to damage enemies.
Druid - Circle of Stars
Druids of the Circle of Stars tap into celestial powers through three Starry Forms: the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each form enhances different aspects of gameplay, from dealing radiant damage to healing and improving constitution rolls, offering versatile strategic options.
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Paladins sworn to the Oath of the Crown can bolster their allies and disrupt enemies. Use Righteous Clarity to guide companions in battle, taunt foes with strategic interrupts, and protect your party with Divine Allegiance, absorbing damage and restoring health.
Fighter - Arcane Archer
The Arcane Archer subclass blends magic with archery, offering unique skills and new shooting animations. Banish enemies to the Feywild or inflict Psychic damage that may blind them, enhancing your combat versatility.
Monk - Drunken Master
As a Drunken Master Monk, you can consume alcohol from your inventory or around the Sword Coast to recover Ki. Use Intoxicating Strike to share a drink with enemies, boosting your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets. Drunken foes are also vulnerable to Sobering Realisation, dealing both physical and Psychic damage.
Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers command three types of swarms in combat: 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 abilities.
Rogue - Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues can employ new actions like throwing sand to Blind enemies, flicking a weapon to Disarm them, or using Fancy Footwork to avoid opportunity attacks during melee combat, adding flair and strategy to their gameplay.
Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness with Superior Darkvision and the ability to Shadow Walk between dim light or darkness. Summon the Hound of Ill Omen to harass foes and use Strength of the Grave to avoid being downed, perfect for Honour Mode runs.
Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks form pacts with Shadowfell entities, wielding magical weapons to curse enemies and summon spirits from slain foes. These spirits can deal necrotic damage and heal the Warlock, enhancing their combat prowess.
Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards merge swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new spell animations and the Bladesong ability, which boosts 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 successful chapter for Larian Studios. Since its launch in 2023, the game has received widespread critical acclaim and achieved significant commercial success, continuing to sell well into 2025.
In a surprising move, Larian announced plans to move away from Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dungeons & Dragons franchise to focus on a new, undisclosed project. This shift has sparked interest in what the future holds for the developer.
Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has expressed interest in continuing the Baldur's Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, Dan Ayoub, hinted at future plans, stating, "We're kind of working out our plans for the future and what we're going to be doing with that. And actually, in pretty short order, we're going to have some stuff to talk about around that." While no specific details were given, Ayoub mentioned a desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, though he emphasized a measured approach to its development.
To celebrate the release of Patch 8, Larian will host a Twitch livestream featuring senior systems designer Ross Stephens, who will discuss the new changes and additions in detail.
