Even though many aren’t quite ready to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3, exciting new content is on the horizon, slated for next year. This is the kind of update that will tempt the most passionate fans into yet another playthrough. Personally, I’m still working through my first run.
Recently, both the game’s social media accounts and a post on Steam revealed that Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t done receiving major content updates just yet. It’s curious because Larian had previously announced they were wrapping up the expansive RPG, but they just can’t seem to step away. It reminds me of how the developers behind Terraria and Binding of Isaac keep revisiting their projects over the years.
The game, beloved even by a few folks at the Vatican, currently has a variety of user-created mods adding layers of enjoyment. Yet Larian continues to spoil us with additional content, ensuring there’s always something fresh to explore.
Come next year, Patch 8—clearly marked as the “final” patch this time—promises to introduce cross-play, a photo mode, and 12 enticing new subclasses. While the photo mode was long anticipated, cross-play comes as a pleasant surprise, transforming BG3 into a fantastic social experience, perfect for hours of collaborative gameplay. And the new subclasses? Diehard players are likely gearing up to craft new characters all over again. It’s a win for fans of Dungeons & Dragons.
Cross-play will feature comprehensive cross-platform progression, allowing players to team up regardless of where they’re playing. There’s still some mystery around how these lobbies will work, particularly if they can be open to more casual gameplay with strangers.
The photo mode will bring a suite of creative options, including adjustable camera and lens settings, scene modifiers like poses and expressions, a range of post-processing effects, frames, and even stickers. There’s little doubt that the most enthusiastic players are already imagining how to combine these with mods, so we can expect no shortage of imaginative—and let’s be real, probably some risqué—content.
In addition to these features, Patch 8 will introduce new subclasses for each of the 12 classes. Here’s a quick list, but for the full scoop, you’ll want to check out the official announcement:
– Bard: College of Glamour
– Barbarian: Path of Giants
– Cleric: Death Domain
– Druid: Circle of Stars
– Paladin: Oath of the Crown
– Fighter: Arcane Archer
– Monk: Drunken Master
– Ranger: Swarmkeeper
– Rogue: Swashbuckler
– Sorcerer: Shadow Magic
– Warlock: Hexblade
– Wizard: Bladesinging
Additionally, stress tests are slated for January, addressing not only cross-play functionality but also a batch of fixes bundled with Patch 8. Given this timeline, the complete launch likely won’t happen until February 2025. We’ll keep you posted with updates as they become available.
