Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 Release Date Announced with 12 New Subclasses

Larian Studios has officially announced that the much-anticipated Patch 8 for *Baldur's Gate 3* will be released on Tuesday, April 15. After undergoing extensive stress testing, this update is now ready for all players to enjoy. Patch 8 brings a plethora of new content to this critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, including 12 new subclasses, a photo mode, cross-play capabilities, and split-screen support for Xbox Series S. For a detailed look at what's new, you can check out the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.

Bard - College of Glamour
As a member of the College of Glamour, Bards gain the ability 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 while it's active, they might become Charmed. Utilize Mantle of Majesty to command these Charmed enemies to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or relinquish their weapon, turning the tide of battle to your advantage.

Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants enhances your Barbarian's strength and size through the Giant’s Rage passive. This allows you to deal extra damage with Throw attacks and increases your carrying capacity, making it easier to hurl both friends and foes across the battlefield.

Cleric - Death Domain
Clerics of the Death Domain gain access to new spells focused on necrotic damage and three necromancy cantrips, including Toll The Dead. This cantrip inflicts 1-8 damage and scales if the target is already injured. Additionally, you can now explode nearby corpses to damage enemies, adding a dark twist to your arsenal.

Druid - Circle of Stars
Druids of the Circle of Stars harness celestial power, taking on Starry Forms like the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each form enhances different aspects of your gameplay: the Archer deals radiant damage, the Chalice heals, and the Dragon boosts constitution rolls, providing versatile and powerful options for healers, fighters, and strategists.

Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Paladins sworn to the Oath of the Crown uphold the law, gaining 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 damage while restoring health.

Fighter - Arcane Archer
Arcane Archers blend magic and marksmanship, introducing unique skills and new shooting animations. Banish foes to the Feywild or unleash Psychic damage that can blind enemies, adding a magical edge to your combat strategy.

Monk - Drunken Master
The Drunken Master Monk can consume alcohol from inventory or the environment to recover Ki. Use Intoxicating Strike to share the bottle with enemies, boosting your Armour Class and hit chance against drunk targets. Drunk enemies are also vulnerable to Sobering Realisation, dealing physical and Psychic damage.

Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers command three types of deadly 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 offers teleportation capabilities, enhancing your mobility in combat.

Rogue - Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues embrace the pirate's life with new actions like throwing sand to Blind enemies, flicking a weapon to Disarm them, and using Fancy Footwork to avoid opportunity attacks after meleeing an enemy.

Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness, gaining 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 stay in the fight, particularly useful in Honour Mode runs.

Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks forge pacts with Shadowfell entities, wielding magical weapons to curse enemies and manipulate their souls. Raise spirits from defeated foes to deal necrotic damage and heal yourself, adding a spectral dimension to your combat.

Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards merge swordplay with spellcasting, featuring new animations for casting spells with a weapon. The Bladesong ability enhances your speed, agility, and focus, providing a bonus to Constitution saving throws.

Every IGN 10 of 2023

18 ImagesPatch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur's Gate 3, concluding a remarkable journey for Larian Studios. The game, which launched to widespread acclaim and commercial success in 2023, has continued 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 project. This shift has left fans curious and eager for more details, which Larian has promised to share once the media blackout on the new project is lifted.

Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has hinted at future plans for the Baldur's Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, revealed that with Larian moving on, there is significant interest in continuing the series. Ayoub teased upcoming announcements but did not specify whether they would involve a new game or other forms of media. He expressed a desire for a Baldur's Gate 4 but acknowledged that such a project would take time to develop.

"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," Ayoub stated. "We're not in a hurry. We're taking a very measured approach... We're ready to start dipping our toes and talking about a few things. And in really short order, we'll have more to share about that."

To celebrate the release of Patch 8, Larian will host a Twitch livestream featuring senior systems designer Ross Stephens, who will guide viewers through the new changes and additions.