What is known about the latest major patch for Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8: A Comprehensive Overview of the Final Major Update

A closed stress test for Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 commenced on January 28th, encompassing both PC and console platforms. This substantial update, the final major patch for the game, introduces a wealth of new content, including twelve new subclasses, cross-platform play, and a highly anticipated photo mode. Let's delve into the transformative changes this update brings to one of the most acclaimed games of recent times.

Table of Contents

• New Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Photo Mode
• Cross-Play
• Gameplay, Combat, and Story Improvements

New Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3

Each of Baldur's Gate 3's twelve classes receives a unique subclass, each boasting new spells, dialogue options, and visual effects.

• Sorcerer: Shadow Magic: Harness the power of shadows, summoning hellhounds and creating veils of darkness. Level 11 unlocks shadow-based teleportation.

• Warlock: Pact Blade: Forge a pact with a Shadowfell entity, enchanting weapons for increased magical potency and multi-strike capabilities.

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• Cleric: Death Domain: Master necrotic magic, bypassing resistances and utilizing abilities like corpse explosions and resurrection.

• Wizard: Blade Song: A melee-focused subclass, accumulating charges through attacks and spells to heal allies or inflict damage.

• Druid: Circle of Stars: Shift between constellations, gaining battlefield-adaptable bonuses for enhanced versatility.

• Barbarian: Path of the Giant: Rage-fueled giants, hurling weapons with enhanced damage and elemental effects. Weapons return to hand after throwing.

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• Fighter: Mystic Archer: Combine archery with magic, unleashing enchanted arrows with diverse effects like blinding, psychic damage, and banishment.

• Monk: Drunken Master: Unleash devastating blows fueled by alcohol, weakening enemies for subsequent attacks.

• Rogue: Swashbuckler: A pirate-themed subclass excelling in close combat, employing tactics like blinding, disarming, and demoralizing enemies.

• Bard: College of Glamour: Captivate foes and bolster allies with charismatic abilities, influencing enemies to flee, approach, freeze, or drop their weapons.

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• Ranger: Swarmkeeper: Control swarms of insects (bees, honeybees, moths) with unique debuffing effects. Swarm types change upon leveling up.

• Paladin: Oath of the Crown: A lawful and righteous paladin, focusing on supporting allies, drawing enemy attention, and absorbing damage.

Photo Mode

The highly anticipated photo mode finally arrives, offering extensive camera controls and advanced post-processing effects for creating stunning screenshots.

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Cross-Play

Cross-platform multiplayer is enabled across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Windows, and Mac. The stress test primarily focused on refining cross-play functionality.

Gameplay, Combat, and Story Improvements

Patch 8 includes numerous gameplay enhancements and bug fixes:

• Improved item detection in Perception checks.
• Resolved display issues with ally abilities.
• Enabled in-conversation use of items from unlocked containers.
• Addressed issues with NPC hostility and character movement.
• Fixed various glitches related to combat, loading screens, and character interactions.
• Improved server performance.

Patch 8 is slated for release in February or early March 2025. Following this update, Larian Studios will concentrate on bug fixes, with no further major content updates planned.

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