While most gamers are still enjoying the intricate world of Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s exciting news on the horizon—new content is set to arrive next year, a treat for dedicated fans who can’t resist diving into another thrilling playthrough. And here I am, barely scratching the surface of my first run.
The announcement came through the game’s social media presence and a detailed Steam blog post. It turns out that Baldur’s Gate 3 hasn’t yet reached the end of its expansion journey. Despite earlier assurances from Larian Studios that they were wrapping up the epic RPG, they can’t seem to stay away. Perhaps they’ll follow in the footsteps of developers like those behind Terraria and Binding of Isaac, who have kept their games alive with updates for years.
Surprisingly, the game, which has even entertained a trio of Vatican officials, continues to thrive with a plethora of user-created mods. This hasn’t deterred Larian from giving fans more thrilling surprises.
Come next year, Patch 8 is slated to be the ultimate, and we hope final, update. It promises to introduce features like cross-play, photo mode, and a slew of 12 fresh subclasses. While players have clamored for a photo mode for ages, the addition of cross-play comes as a delightful surprise, turning BG3 into the ultimate social gaming experience for those extended gaming sessions. With the new subclasses, diehard Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts will no doubt relish the chance to explore new character builds.
The cross-play feature is set to roll out with “full cross-platform progression, including cross-play” capabilities. Players will be able to create and share lobbies across platforms, though it’s not entirely clear if these lobbies can be listed publicly for joining up with random players.
The photo mode is gearing up to be jam-packed with features—think camera and lens settings, scene modifiers like different poses and facial expressions, post-processing effects, various frames, and even stickers. We can only imagine the creative mayhem players will unleash, especially when mods get involved.
Lastly, Patch 8 will offer a new subclass for each of the 12 traditional classes. Here’s a quick look at what’s coming:
– 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
To wrap it up, there will be ‘stress tests’ held in January to refine the cross-play functionality and address a host of extra fixes slated to accompany Patch 8. This means we might not see this final update until February 2025. We’ll be sure to keep you in the loop with the latest news on this patch as it develops.
