Exciting news for fans of Baldur’s Gate 3—the final major update is on the horizon, and it's bringing a host of new features. Dive in to discover what's in store with the game's concluding patch and what the future holds for the franchise.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Final Content Update
Patch 8 Arrives April 15
The eagerly anticipated last major update for Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) now has a confirmed release date. On April 11, Larian Studios announced via a Twitter (X) post that Patch 8 is set to launch on April 15. Alongside this release, Senior Systems Designer Ross Stephens will provide insights into the patch's content during a Twitch stream scheduled for April 16 at 1:00 UTC. You can find the local start time for the stream in the timetable below:
What’s in Patch 8?
Larian Studios teased Patch 8 in a November 2024 Steam blog post, highlighting new additions like 12 new subclasses, a photo mode, and more. Despite being the last major patch, the studio remains committed to supporting the modding community, planning to enhance modding capabilities to allow players to craft their own narratives.
According to the post, players can look forward to "new abilities, animations, VFX, summons and cantrips, and unique voiced dialogue lines for the Oathbreaker Knight with written reactivity for Oathbreakers, along with a touch of homebrewing on certain actions to enhance your role-playing experience." Additionally, the patch introduces a Photo Mode, offering players a variety of options to capture stunning in-game moments. This includes adjustable camera settings, lens settings, scene settings, post-processing effects, frames, and stickers.
Larian Studios Moves Beyond Dungeons and Dragons
Following the release of Patch 8, Larian Studios will bid farewell to the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) universe to embark on new creative ventures. At the 2024 Game Developers Conference, Larian Studios Founder and CEO Swen Vicke announced that they would not be developing any DLC or expansions for Baldur’s Gate, nor would they be creating a Baldur’s Gate 4. Vicke stated, "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's departure, 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 April 2024 interview with PC Gamer, Eugene Evans, Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy and Licensing at Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, revealed that they are in discussions with various partners about the future of the Baldur’s Gate series. Evans emphasized, "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 steps away from Baldur’s Gate, fans can rest assured that the cherished series will continue. Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news by checking out our article below!
