Larian Studios has exciting news for fans of Baldur’s Gate 3: the much-anticipated Patch 8 is set to 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.
Patch 8 brings a massive amount of new content to the award-winning Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Players can look forward to 12 new subclasses, a photo mode, cross-play functionality, and split-screen support for Xbox Series S. For a detailed look at all the changes, be sure to check out the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.
Here's a breakdown of the new subclasses introduced in Patch 8:
Bard - College of Glamour
As a College of Glamour Bard, you'll wield the power to heal allies and manipulate enemies. With the Mantle of Inspiration spell, you can grant your allies 5 temporary hit points, and if an enemy attacks during this spell, they become Charmed. Use 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 and harness the strength of giants to enhance your throwing capabilities. The Giant’s Rage passive not only increases your size and strength but also boosts your carry capacity, making it easier to deal extra damage with Throw attacks.
Cleric - Death Domain
Embrace the dark arts as a Death Domain Cleric, wielding spells that deal necrotic damage and three new necromancy cantrips. Toll The Dead inflicts 1-8 damage, scaling if the target is already wounded. Additionally, you can now cause nearby corpses to explode, damaging enemies around them.
Druid - Circle of Stars
As a Circle of Stars Druid, draw power from the constellations of the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each Starry Form offers unique abilities: the Archer deals radiant damage with astral arrows, the Chalice restores hit points, and the Dragon boosts constitution rolls while dealing damage.
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Sworn to uphold the law, as an Oath of the Crown Paladin, you can aid your allies and disrupt foes. Use Righteous Clarity to guide your companions in battle, taunt enemies with strategic interrupts, and protect your party with Divine Allegiance, absorbing damage and restoring health.
Fighter - Arcane Archer
Combine magic and marksmanship as an Arcane Archer. Banish enemies to the Feywild, or unleash Psychic damage that may blind them. This subclass also introduces new shooting animations.
Monk - Drunken Master
The Drunken Master Monk can consume alcohol from inventory or around the Sword Coast to recover Ki. Use Intoxicating Strike to share the bottle with enemies, boosting your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets. Sobering Realisation sobers up drunk enemies, dealing both physical and Psychic damage.
Ranger - Swarmkeeper
The Swarmkeeper Ranger 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 and knockback. Each swarm also offers teleportation capabilities.
Rogue - Swashbuckler
As a Swashbuckler Rogue, employ tactics like throwing sand to Blind enemies, flicking your weapon to Disarm them, and using Fancy Footwork to avoid opportunity attacks during melee combat.
Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
As a Shadow Magic Sorcerer, thrive in darkness with Superior Darkvision and Shadow Walk. Summon the Hound of Ill Omen to harass foes and use Strength of the Grave to prevent being downed, perfect for Honour Mode runs.
Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks forge a pact with a Shadowfell entity, manifesting as magical weapons. Curse enemies to control their souls, raise spirits from slain foes to deal necrotic damage, and heal yourself by ripping away their souls.
Wizard - Bladesinging
The Bladesinging Wizard merges swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new animations, the Bladesong ability for enhanced speed, agility, and focus, and a bonus to Constitution saving throws.
Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, concluding a successful run for Larian Studios. The game, which launched to critical acclaim and significant commercial success in 2023, has continued to perform well into 2025. Larian has announced plans to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons to focus on a new project, leaving fans curious about what's next.
Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, is exploring future possibilities for the Baldur’s Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, expressed interest in continuing the franchise, though he did not confirm specifics about a potential Baldur’s Gate 4. He emphasized a measured approach to future developments, hinting at upcoming announcements.
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.
18 Images
