Larian Studios has officially announced that the much-awaited Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 will be released on Tuesday, April 15. This update, which has been rigorously tested, is now ready for all players to experience. Patch 8 introduces a wealth of new content to this critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, including 12 exciting new subclasses, a photo mode, cross-play functionality, and split-screen support for Xbox Series S. For a comprehensive overview of what's new, you can review the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.
New Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8:
Bard - College of Glamour
Embrace the power of the College of Glamour Bard, where you can heal allies and manipulate enemies. Use Mantle of Inspiration to grant 5 temporary hit points to your allies, and when an enemy attacks during this spell, they become Charmed. Leverage Mantle of Majesty to command these charmed foes to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or disarm themselves.
Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choose the Path of Giants to harness your colossal strength, allowing you to throw both allies and adversaries with ease. The Giant’s Rage passive enhances your strength and size, boosting damage from Throw attacks and increasing your carry capacity.
Cleric - Death Domain
As a Death Domain Cleric, you'll wield new spells focused on necrotic damage and three necromancy cantrips, including Toll The Dead, which can deal 1~8 damage that scales if the target is already wounded. You can also detonate nearby corpses to damage enemies.
Druid - Circle of Stars
The Circle of Stars Druids draw power from the stars, using one of three Starry Forms—the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon—to suit different play styles. The Archer inflicts radiant damage with astral arrows, the Chalice restores hit points, and the Dragon adds bonuses to constitution rolls.
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Sworn to uphold the law, the Oath of the Crown Paladin can guide allies with Righteous Clarity, taunt enemies, and use Divine Allegiance to absorb damage and heal party members.
Fighter - Arcane Archer
The Arcane Archer combines magic with archery, featuring new shooting animations and abilities like banishing foes to the Feywild or inflicting Psychic damage that may blind enemies.
Monk - Drunken Master
The Drunken Master Monk can consume alcohol from inventory or around the Sword Coast to recover Ki. Using Intoxicating Strike, you gain buffs to your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets, and Sobering Realisation can sober up and damage them.
Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers can command three deadly swarms: Cloud of Jellyfish for lightning damage, Flurry of Moths for Psychic damage with a chance to blind, and Legion of Bees for piercing damage with knockback potential. Each swarm also offers teleportation.
Rogue - Swashbuckler
The Swashbuckler Rogue excels in dirty tactics like blinding enemies with sand, disarming foes, and using Fancy Footwork to avoid opportunity attacks after melee strikes.
Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness with Superior Darkvision and Shadow Walk abilities, summoning a Hound of Ill Omen to harass foes and using Strength of the Grave to resist being downed.
Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks pact with Shadowfell entities for magical weapons, cursing enemies and raising their spirits as summons that deal necrotic damage and heal the Warlock.
Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards blend swordplay and magic, featuring new spellcasting animations and the Bladesong ability for enhanced speed, agility, focus, and Constitution saving throws.
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Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, culminating a successful journey for Larian. The game, launched in 2023, garnered critical acclaim and strong sales into 2025.
Surprisingly, Larian has announced its departure from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons to focus on a new, undisclosed project, initiating a media blackout.
Meanwhile, Hasbro, owner of D&D, has expressed interest in continuing the Baldur's Gate series. At the Game Developers Conference, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, Dan Ayoub, hinted at future plans, stating they are "working out plans for the future" and will soon share more details. While specifics about a potential Baldur's Gate 4 remain unclear, Ayoub confirmed a desire for its development but emphasized a cautious, measured approach.
To celebrate the release of Patch 8, Larian will host a Twitch livestream where senior systems designer Ross Stephens will discuss the new features and changes.
