On January 28, the closed stress test for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3 commenced, marking a significant milestone for both PC and console players. This pivotal update, poised to be the final major patch for the game, introduces a slew of enhancements, including 12 new subclasses, cross-play functionality, and an advanced photo mode. These additions promise to elevate the already acclaimed game to new heights, offering players fresh ways to engage with the rich world of Baldur’s Gate 3.
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 will receive a unique subclass, each enriched with new spells, dialogues, and visual effects, providing players with more depth and personalization in their gameplay.
Sorcerer: Shadow Magic
The Sorcerer subclass, Shadow Magic, delves into the darkest arts, allowing the summoning of a hellhound to pin down enemies and creating a veil of darkness exclusive to the sorcerer's sight. By level 11, they gain the ability to teleport between shadows, offering strategic advantages in combat.
Warlock: Pact Blade
Warlocks opting for the Pact Blade subclass form a pact with a Shadowfell entity, enabling them to enchant weapons from level 1. This enchantment can be reapplied by level 3, and by level 5, Warlocks can strike thrice per turn, a feature that might seem either bugged or overwhelmingly powerful.
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Cleric: Death Domain
Clerics of the Death Domain specialize in necrotic spells that ignore enemy resistances, offering unique gameplay through abilities to resurrect the dead or trigger corpse explosions. This subclass is perfect for players seeking a religious role without the traditional focus on healing.
Wizard: Blade Song
Wizards choosing the Blade Song subclass become effective in melee combat, gaining ten turns of Blade Song activation. During this period, they accumulate charges from attacks and spells, which can be used to either heal allies or inflict damage on foes.
Druid: Circle of Stars
Druids in the Circle of Stars subclass can switch between constellations, gaining bonuses that enhance their adaptability on the battlefield, making them versatile in their roles.
Barbarian: Path of the Giant
Barbarians on the Path of the Giant enter a rage that not only increases their size but also enhances their throwing capabilities with additional fire or lightning effects. Their weapons return to them after being thrown, adding to their combat prowess.
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Fighter: Mystic Archer
Mystic Archers blend magic with archery, shooting enchanted arrows that can blind enemies, inflict psychic damage, or banish them to another dimension, reflecting traditional elven combat techniques.
Monk: Drunken Master
Monks adopting the Drunken Master subclass rely on alcohol-enhanced strength, delivering powerful physical strikes. Enemies struck by them become more vulnerable to follow-up attacks, making these monks formidable in combat.
Rogue: Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler Rogues embody the pirate archetype, excelling in close combat with tactics like throwing sand to blind, quick thrusts to disarm, and taunts to demoralize opponents, ideal for fans of characters like Astarion.
Bard: College of Glamour
Bards of the College of Glamour charm enemies and support allies with their charisma, capable of enchanting foes to flee, approach, freeze, fall down, or drop their weapons, truly the rock stars of the Forgotten Realms.
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Ranger: Swarmkeeper
Rangers as Swarmkeepers command hordes of tiny creatures, with swarms that can repel enemies, stun with shock, or blind opponents. The ability to switch swarm types is limited to level-ups, adding strategic elements to gameplay.
Paladin: Oath of the Crown
Paladins adhering to the Oath of the Crown are the epitome of lawfulness and righteousness, gaining abilities that enhance allies, attract enemy attention, and absorb damage, making them essential tank-like figures in team-based play.
Photo Mode
A long-awaited photo mode with extensive camera settings and advanced post-processing effects is introduced, enabling players to capture high-quality screenshots of their adventures.
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Cross-Play
Cross-platform multiplayer will now be available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Windows, and Mac. The closed stress test, launched to refine cross-play, focuses on eliminating bugs and ensuring smooth integration of this feature.
Gameplay, Combat, and Story Improvements
Patch 8 introduces several gameplay enhancements, including:
- Items detected during Perception checks are now marked on the mini-map and logged in the battle journal.
- Fixed an issue where certain ally abilities weren’t displayed post-dialogue in the High Hall.
- Scrolls and potions in unlocked containers can now be used during conversations.
- Neutral and friendly NPCs no longer become hostile when stepping on combat-created surfaces.
- Resolved a bug causing characters to get stuck climbing stairs occupied by companions.
- Fixed moving platform issues in the Shan Trial location to prevent characters from falling.
- Corrected a glitch causing neutral NPCs to initiate combat without reason.
- Keris will no longer engage in unnecessary fights with Mintara.
- Resolved a loading screen freeze at 0% when joining modded multiplayer sessions.
- Improved server performance in the Adamantine Forge.
- Fixed an issue where players could tell Astarion about Gandrel, even if Gandrel didn’t reveal his target.
- Mintara no longer gets stuck while watching over Taniel in Act 2.
- Characters will no longer mistakenly believe Shadohurt is dead if she isn’t.
- Discovered merchants now appear on the world map, regardless of distance.
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Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 is slated for release in February or early March 2025. Post-release, Larian Studios will shift their focus to addressing bugs, with no plans for further major updates, ensuring a polished and enjoyable experience for all players.
