Latest Major Patch for Baldur's Gate 3: Key Details Revealed

On January 28, the closed stress test for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3 kicked off across both PC and consoles, heralding the final major update for this iconic game. Patch 8 introduces a range of exciting features including 12 new subclasses, cross-play functionality, and a comprehensive photo mode, revolutionizing the gaming experience for fans of this critically acclaimed title.

Table of Content

• New Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Sorcerer: Shadow Magic
• Warlock: Pact Blade
• Cleric: Death Domain
• Wizard: Blade Song
• Druid: Circle of Stars
• Barbarian: Path of the Giant
• Fighter: Mystic Archer
• Monk: Drunken Master
• Rogue: Swashbuckler
• Bard: College of Glamour
• Ranger: Swarmkeeper
• Paladin: Oath of the Crown
• Photo Mode
• Cross-Play
• Gameplay, Combat, and Story Improvements

New Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3

Each of the twelve classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 is enriched with a unique subclass, bringing new spells, dialogues, and visual effects to the game.

Sorcerer: Shadow Magic

Delve into the darkest corners of magic with the Shadow Magic subclass. Sorcerers can now summon a hellhound to immobilize foes and shroud themselves in a veil of darkness, visible only to them. At level 11, they master the art of teleporting between shadows, adding a thrilling tactical layer to combat.

Warlock: Pact Blade

Warlocks can now forge a pact with a Shadowfell entity, enchanting a weapon at level 1 to make it magical. By level 3, they can re-enchant, and at level 5, they gain the ability to strike thrice per turn, a feature that might seem either a bug or a powerful advantage!

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Cleric: Death Domain

Clerics in the Death Domain specialize in necrotic spells that bypass resistances, allowing them to resurrect the dead or cause corpses to explode. This subclass appeals to players who enjoy a religious character without the traditional healing focus.

Wizard: Blade Song

Wizards gain a significant boost in melee combat with the Blade Song ability. For ten turns, they accumulate charges from attacks and spells, which can then be used to heal allies or deal devastating damage to enemies.

Druid: Circle of Stars

Druids can now switch between constellations, gaining bonuses that allow them to adapt to various battlefield roles, enhancing their versatility and strategic depth.

Barbarian: Path of the Giant

Barbarians embrace the Path of the Giant, entering a rage that increases their size and enables them to throw weapons with enhanced damage, complete with fire or lightning effects. Their weapons return to their hands, and they gain improved throwing skills and higher carrying capacity.

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Fighter: Mystic Archer

Mystic Archers blend magic with archery, firing enchanted arrows that can blind, deal psychic damage, or banish opponents to another dimension, embodying the traditional elven combat techniques.

Monk: Drunken Master

Monks harness the power of alcohol to deliver devastating physical blows. Enemies struck by the monk become more vulnerable to subsequent attacks, making them a formidable force in combat.

Rogue: Swashbuckler

Rogues can now embrace the Swashbuckler subclass, perfect for fans of Astarion. Excelling in close combat, they use dirty tricks like throwing sand to blind enemies, quick thrusts to disarm, or taunts to demoralize foes.

Bard: College of Glamour

Bards in the College of Glamour become the rock stars of the Forgotten Realms, using their charisma to charm enemies and support allies. They can enchant foes to flee, approach, freeze, fall down, or drop their weapons.

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Ranger: Swarmkeeper

Rangers become Swarmkeepers, commanding swarms of tiny creatures to debuff enemies. With bee swarms that repel, honey swarms that stun, and moth swarms that blind, they can switch types upon leveling up.

Paladin: Oath of the Crown

Paladins adhering to the Oath of the Crown are the epitome of law and righteousness. They gain abilities that boost allies, draw enemy attention, and absorb damage, making them an essential tank in team-based play.

Photo Mode

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The much-anticipated photo mode arrives with Patch 8, offering extensive camera settings and advanced post-processing effects for capturing high-quality screenshots.

Cross-Play

Cross-platform multiplayer finally becomes a reality across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Windows, and Mac. The closed stress test focuses on fine-tuning this feature to ensure a seamless experience across all supported platforms.

Gameplay, Combat, and Story Improvements

Patch 8 brings a host of enhancements to gameplay, combat, and story:

• Items detected during Perception checks will now be marked on the mini-map and logged in the battle journal.
• Fixed an issue where certain ally abilities weren’t displayed properly after dialogue in the High Hall.
• Items like scrolls and potions inside unlocked containers can now be used during conversations.
• Neutral and friendly NPCs no longer become hostile when stepping on combat-created surfaces.
• Resolved bugs causing characters to get stuck climbing stairs or moving on platforms in the Shan Trial location.
• Corrected glitches where neutral NPCs would initiate combat without cause or get stuck while watching over others.
• Improved server performance in the Adamantine Forge and fixed various dialogue and interaction issues.
• Discovered merchants will now appear on the world map regardless of distance.

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Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 is set to launch in February or early March 2025. Following this update, Larian Studios will shift focus to bug fixes, with no further major updates planned.