Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 Launches with 12 New Subclasses

Larian Studios has officially announced that the highly anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 will launch on Tuesday, April 15. This update, which has been in stress testing for some time, is now ready for all players to enjoy.

Patch 8 introduces a wealth of new content to the critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Players can look forward to 12 new subclasses, a photo mode, cross-play functionality, and split-screen support on Xbox Series S. For a detailed breakdown of what's included, 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 College of Glamour Bard, you'll harness the power to both heal and command. With Mantle of Inspiration, you can grant your allies 5 temporary hit points, and any enemy attacking during its duration will be Charmed. Leverage Mantle of Majesty to command Charmed enemies to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or relinquish their weapon.

Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choose the Path of Giants and embrace your newfound giant strength, which simplifies tossing both allies and enemies alike. The Giant’s Rage passive enhances your strength and size, boosting your Throw attack damage and increasing your carry capacity.

Cleric - Death Domain
As a Death Domain Cleric, you'll master dark arts, specializing in necrotic damage and gaining three new necromancy cantrips. Toll The Dead inflicts 1~8 damage, scaling up if the target is already wounded. Additionally, you can now cause nearby corpses to explode, damaging foes.

Druid - Circle of Stars
Circle of Stars Druids channel celestial power, adopting 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 gain abilities to support allies and disrupt enemies. Use Righteous Clarity to guide your companions, taunt foes with strategic interrupts, and protect your party with Divine Allegiance, absorbing their damage and restoring their health.

Fighter - Arcane Archer
Arcane Archers blend magic with marksmanship, featuring unique skills and new shooting animations. Banish foes to the Feywild for a turn or inflict Psychic damage, potentially blinding enemies who fail a Wisdom saving throw.

Monk - Drunken Master
As a Drunken Master, consume alcohol from your inventory or around the Sword Coast to recover Ki. Use Intoxicating Strike to buff your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets, and utilize Sobering Realisation to sober them up, dealing physical and Psychic damage.

Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers command three deadly swarms in combat: Cloud of Jellyfish for extra 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
Swashbuckler Rogues introduce actions suited for a piratical life, including Blinding enemies with sand, Disarming them with a flick of your weapon, and using Fancy Footwork to avoid 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. 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 form pacts with Shadowfell entities, manifesting magical weapons. Curse enemies and raise their spirits as summons for ten turns to deal necrotic damage and heal your Warlock by stealing their souls.

Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards blend swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new animations when casting with a weapon. The Bladesong ability grants supernatural speed, agility, focus, and a bonus to Constitution saving throws.

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Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, concluding an impressive 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 2024 and 2025.

In a surprising move, Larian announced its departure from Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Dungeons & Dragons universe to focus on a new, undisclosed game. This shift has left fans curious, as Larian has imposed a media blackout to concentrate on this mysterious project.

Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has hinted at plans to continue the Baldur's Gate series. In a recent interview at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, expressed interest in the series' future. "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," he stated. While specifics remain under wraps, Ayoub acknowledged 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 update's new features and changes.