Baldur’s Gate 3’s Final Major Update: Patch 8 Arrives April 15
Get ready, adventurers! The much-anticipated final major patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) is set to launch on April 15. Larian Studios announced the release date via a Twitter (X) post on April 11, and they're not stopping there. Senior Systems Designer Ross Stephens will dive into the details of Patch 8 during a Twitch Stream on April 16 at 1:00 UTC. You can catch the stream on Larian Studios’ Twitch page. Check the timetable below to see when the stream kicks off in your time zone:
Patch 8: What’s Inside?
Larian Studios teased the contents of this monumental update back in November 2024 via a Steam blog post. Patch 8 promises to be a game-changer, introducing 12 new subclasses, a highly requested Photo Mode, and a wealth of new content. Despite being the last major patch, Larian Studios remains committed to supporting the modding community, planning to enhance functionality so players can craft their own unique stories.
Prepare to delve deeper into the world of BG3 with new abilities, animations, visual effects, summons, and cantrips. The Oathbreaker Knight will receive unique voiced dialogue lines and written reactivity, adding depth to your role-playing experience. Plus, a touch of homebrewing will allow for even more customization in your actions.
The new Photo Mode will let you capture your adventures with a variety of options including camera settings, lens adjustments, scene settings, post-processing effects, frames, and stickers, making every snapshot uniquely yours.
Larian Studios Moves Beyond Dungeons and Dragons
Once Patch 8 rolls out, Larian Studios will bid farewell to the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) universe. At the 2024 Game Developers Conference, Founder and CEO Swen Vicke announced that the studio will not be developing any DLC or expansions for BG3, nor will they be crafting a Baldur’s Gate 4. Instead, Larian Studios is setting its sights on creating something entirely new.
Swen Vicke expressed, "Baldur's Gate will always have a warm spot in our heart. We'll forever be proud of it, but we're not gonna continue in it. We're not gonna make new expansions, which everybody is expecting us to do. We're not gonna make Baldur's Gate 4, which everyone is expecting us to do. We're gonna move on - we're gonna move away from D&D and start making a new thing."
Despite Larian Studios stepping away, the future of the Baldur’s Gate series remains bright. Wizards of the Coast, the owner of D&D, is committed to continuing the franchise. In an interview with PC Gamer in April 2024, Eugene Evans, Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy and Licensing at Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, revealed they are actively discussing the future of Baldur’s Gate with various partners.
Eugene Evans shared, "So we certainly hope that it's not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur’s Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that. But we're going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur’s Gate. We take that very, very seriously, as we do with all of our decisions around our portfolio. We don't rush into decisions as to who to partner with on products or what products we should be considering."
While Larian Studios moves on to new horizons, fans can rest assured that the Baldur’s Gate legacy will continue. Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates on the future of this beloved series by checking out our article below!
