Larian Studios has officially announced that the highly anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 will launch on Tuesday, April 15. After being available in stress test form for a while, this update is now ready for all players to enjoy next week.
Patch 8 brings a massive wave of new content to the critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Players can look forward to 12 new subclasses, along with exciting additions like photo mode, cross-play, and split-screen functionality for Xbox Series S. For a comprehensive overview, 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 College of Glamour Bard, you’ll wield the power to heal allies and command enemies with equal finesse. Use Mantle of Inspiration to grant your allies 5 temporary hit points, and if an enemy attacks during this time, they'll be Charmed. With Mantle of Majesty, you can manipulate these charmed foes, commanding them to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or disarm themselves.
Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants grants you immense strength, making it easier to hurl both allies and enemies. With the Giant’s Rage passive, you'll gain both strength and size, enhancing your Throw attacks and increasing your carry capacity.
Cleric - Death Domain
As a Death Domain Cleric, you'll harness dark powers, specializing in necrotic damage and wielding three new necromancy cantrips. Toll The Dead inflicts 1-8 damage, scaling with prior damage to the target. Additionally, you can now explode nearby corpses to damage enemies.
Druid - Circle of Stars
Circle of Stars Druids draw power from the stars, beyond traditional wildshapes. Choose from three Starry Forms: the Archer for radiant damage, the Chalice for healing, and the Dragon for strategic advantages, enhancing your role as a healer, fighter, or strategist.
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Sworn to uphold the law, Oath of the Crown Paladins gain abilities to support allies and disrupt foes. Use Righteous Clarity to guide your companions, Divine Allegiance to absorb damage and restore health, and strategic interrupts to taunt enemies.
Fighter - Arcane Archer
Arcane Archers blend magic and marksmanship, offering unique skills and new shooting animations. Banish foes to the Feywild or unleash Psychic damage that can blind enemies.
Monk - Drunken Master
Drunken Masters can consume alcohol to recover Ki, using Intoxicating Strike to buff their Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets. Drunk enemies are vulnerable to Sobering Realisation, which deals physical and Psychic damage.
Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers control three deadly swarms in combat: Cloud of Jellyfish for lightning damage, Flurry of Moths for Psychic damage and potential blinding, and Legion of Bees for piercing damage and knockback. Each swarm also provides teleportation abilities.
Rogue - Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues embrace a piratical lifestyle with actions like throwing sand to Blind enemies, flicking weapons to Disarm them, and using Fancy Footwork to avoid opportunity attacks during melee.
Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness, equipped with Superior Darkvision and the ability to Shadow Walk. Summon the Hound of Ill Omen and use Strength of the Grave to stay in the fight, especially useful for Honour Mode runs.
Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks form pacts with Shadowfell entities, wielding magical weapons. Curse enemies and raise their spirits as summons for ten turns, dealing necrotic damage and healing the Warlock.
Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards combine swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new animations, the Bladesong ability for speed and agility, and a bonus to Constitution saving throws.
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Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, concluding a remarkable journey for Larian Studios. The game, launched to critical acclaim and commercial success in 2023, has continued to thrive into 2025.
In a surprising move, Larian announced its departure from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons to focus on a new, undisclosed project, prompting a media blackout. Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has expressed interest in continuing the series. Speaking to IGN at the Game Developers Conference, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, Dan Ayoub, hinted at future plans for Baldur's Gate, though specifics remain under wraps.
"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," Ayoub stated, leaving fans curious about whether this will involve a new Baldur's Gate game or a crossover event similar to past collaborations.
Larian will celebrate Patch 8's release with a Twitch livestream, featuring senior systems designer Ross Stephens discussing the update's changes and additions.
