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

Larian Studios has officially announced that the highly anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 will be released on Tuesday, April 15. After being available in a stress test version for some time, this update is now ready for all players to enjoy. Baldur's Gate 3, a record-breaking Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, will receive a substantial amount of new content with Patch 8, featuring 12 new subclasses among other exciting additions such as a photo mode, cross-play, and Xbox Series S split-screen functionality. For a comprehensive list of changes, be sure to check out the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 patch notes.

Bard - College of Glamour
As a member of the College of Glamour, Bards can harness the power to heal allies and influence enemies. The Mantle of Inspiration ability grants your allies 5 temporary hit points, and if an enemy attacks during its effect, they may become Charmed. Leverage this with Mantle of Majesty to command Charmed foes to flee, approach, freeze, drop to the ground, or relinquish their weapon.

Barbarian - Path of Giants
Choosing the Path of Giants enhances your Barbarian's strength and size through the Giant’s Rage passive. This not only increases your damage output with Throw attacks but also boosts your carrying capacity, making it easier to manage your inventory.

Cleric - Death Domain
Clerics of the Death Domain gain access to spells focused on necrotic damage and three new necromancy cantrips, including Toll The Dead, which deals 1-8 damage, scaling with pre-existing damage on the target. Additionally, a unique homebrewed ability allows you to explode nearby corpses, damaging enemies in the process.

Druid - Circle of Stars
Druids of the Circle of Stars tap into celestial power through three Starry Forms: the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each form supports different strategies, from dealing radiant damage with astral arrows to healing and enhancing constitution rolls, offering versatile combat options.

Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Paladins sworn to the Oath of the Crown can support their allies and disrupt foes with Righteous Clarity, strategic interrupts, and Divine Allegiance, which absorbs damage while restoring health to the party.

Fighter - Arcane Archer
The Arcane Archer subclass blends magic with archery, offering unique abilities like banishing enemies to the Feywild or inflicting Psychic damage that may blind opponents, complemented by new shooting animations.

Monk - Drunken Master
As a Drunken Master, Monks can consume alcohol from their inventory or around the Sword Coast to recover Ki. Using Intoxicating Strike, they can buff their Armor Class and hit chance against drunk targets, who are also vulnerable to Sobering Realisation, dealing physical and Psychic damage.

Ranger - Swarmkeeper
Swarmkeeper Rangers can command three types of swarms: Cloud of Jellyfish for 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 like tossing sand to Blind foes, flicking weapons to Disarm them, and using Fancy Footwork to prevent opportunity attacks after melee engagements.

Sorcerer - Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic Sorcerers thrive in darkness with Superior Darkvision, Shadow Walk for moving between dim light or darkness, and the ability to summon a Hound of Ill Omen. Strength of the Grave helps prevent being downed, making it ideal for challenging modes like Honour Mode.

Warlock - Hexblade
Hexblade Warlocks form a pact with a Shadowfell entity, granting them the ability to curse enemies and raise their spirits as summons for ten turns. These summons deal necrotic damage and heal the Warlock by siphoning the enemy's soul.

Wizard - Bladesinging
Bladesinging Wizards merge swordplay with magic, featuring new spellcasting animations, the Bladesong ability for enhanced speed, agility, and focus, and 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 period of critical acclaim and commercial success that began with its launch in 2023 and continued strongly through 2024 and into 2025.

Larian Studios surprised the gaming community by announcing their departure from Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dungeons & Dragons universe to focus on a new, undisclosed project, following a media blackout after initial teasers.

Meanwhile, Hasbro, the owner of D&D, has expressed interest in continuing the Baldur's Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, indicated that with Larian moving on, there is significant interest in the franchise. While no specific plans were detailed, Ayoub hinted at forthcoming announcements and expressed a long-term desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, though he emphasized a measured approach to future developments.

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