Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3: 12 New Subclasses Released

Larian Studios has officially announced the release of the much-anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3, set to launch on Tuesday, April 15. This update has been in stress testing for some time and is now ready for all players to enjoy next week.

Patch 8 introduces an extensive range of new content to the acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Players can look forward to 12 new subclasses, along with exciting features such as a photo mode, cross-play, and split-screen support on Xbox Series S. For a detailed look at what's new, be sure to check out the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.

Here's a breakdown of the new subclasses coming with Patch 8:

Bard - College of Glamour
College of Glamour Bards will wield the power to both heal allies and influence enemies. With the Mantle of Inspiration spell, you can grant your allies 5 temporary hit points. If an enemy attacks while this spell is active, they may become Charmed, allowing you to manipulate them using Mantle of Majesty to command them to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop their weapon.

Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants grants you immense strength, enabling you to throw both allies and enemies with ease. The Giant’s Rage passive boosts your strength and size, enhancing your Throw attack damage and increasing your carry capacity.

Cleric - Death Domain
Death Domain Clerics gain access to spells that deal necrotic damage and three new necromancy cantrips. Toll The Dead causes 1-8 damage, scaling up if the target is already damaged. Additionally, you can now explode nearby corpses, dealing damage to enemies.

Druid - Circle of Stars
Circle of Stars Druids harness the power of the stars through three Starry Forms: the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each form offers unique abilities, from dealing radiant damage with astral arrows to restoring hitpoints or enhancing constitution rolls.

Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Sworn to uphold the law, Oath of the Crown Paladins can guide their allies with Righteous Clarity, taunt enemies with strategic interrupts, and support their party with Divine Allegiance, absorbing damage while restoring health.

Fighter - Arcane Archer
Arcane Archers combine magic and marksmanship, offering unique skills and new shooting animations. You can banish foes to the Feywild or unleash Psychic damage, potentially blinding enemies.

Monk - Drunken Master
Drunken Master Monks can consume alcohol from their inventory or the environment to recover Ki. With Intoxicating Strike, you can share a drink with your enemies, boosting your Armour Class and hit chance against them. Additionally, Sobering Realisation can sober up drunk targets while dealing physical and Psychic damage.

Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers can summon three types of swarms: 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 capabilities.

Rogue - Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues can use new actions like tossing sand to Blind enemies, flicking their weapon to Disarm foes, 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. They can summon a Hound of Ill Omen and use Strength of the Grave to prevent being downed, ideal for Honour Mode runs.

Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks form a pact with a Shadowfell entity, gaining magical weapons to curse enemies and raise their spirits from corpses for 10 turns. These spirits deal necrotic damage and heal the Warlock by ripping away the enemy's soul.

Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards blend swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new spellcasting animations and a Bladesong ability that enhances speed, agility, focus, and Constitution saving throws.

Every IGN 10 of 2023

18 ImagesPatch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur's Gate 3, concluding an extraordinary chapter for Larian Studios. The game, which launched to critical acclaim and commercial success in 2023, has continued to sell robustly through 2024 and into 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 project. This shift has left fans curious, as Larian has imposed a media blackout to concentrate on this mystery endeavor.

Meanwhile, D&D owner Hasbro has expressed interest in continuing the Baldur's Gate series. In a recent interview at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, hinted at ongoing plans for the franchise. "With Larian moving on, we have a lot of people very interested in Baldur's Gate," Ayoub stated. While he did not specify whether this means a new Baldur's Gate game or another form of media crossover, Ayoub expressed a long-term desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, acknowledging that such a project would take time.

"We're not in a hurry," Ayoub added. "We're going to take a very measured approach... We've got a lot of plans, a lot of different ways to go about it. We're starting to think about, okay, yeah, we're ready to start dipping toes a little bit and talking about a few things. And I think, in really short order, like I said, again, not to over-tease that point, we're going to have some other things to talk about around that."

To celebrate the launch of Patch 8, Larian will host a Twitch livestream featuring senior systems designer Ross Stephens, who will discuss the update's changes and additions.