The closed stress test for Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3 commenced on January 28, marking a significant milestone for the game on both PC and consoles. This final major update promises to elevate the experience of one of the most acclaimed games of recent times, introducing 12 new subclasses, cross-play functionality, and a comprehensive photo mode. Here's how this update revolutionizes the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.

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, complete with fresh spells, dialogues, and visual effects, enhancing the depth and variety of gameplay.

Sorcerer: Shadow Magic

Embrace the darkness with the Shadow Magic subclass. Sorcerers can summon a hellhound to attack and immobilize enemies, and shroud themselves in a veil of darkness where they alone can see. At level 11, they gain the ability to teleport between shadows, adding a strategic layer to their combat prowess.

Warlock: Pact Blade

Warlocks form a pact with an entity from the Shadowfell, enchanting weapons to become magical at level 1. By level 3, they can enchant another, and at level 5, they can strike thrice per turn, potentially making them one of the most powerful combatants in the game.

Image: x.com

Cleric: Death Domain

Clerics of the Death Domain specialize in necrotic spells, bypassing enemy resistances and even commanding the dead to explode or rise again. This subclass is perfect for players seeking a darker, more aggressive approach to their religious characters.

Wizard: Blade Song

Wizards can now excel in melee combat with the Blade Song subclass, which grants ten turns to accumulate charges through attacks and spells. These charges can then be used to heal allies or deal devastating damage to foes, making wizards versatile combatants.

Druid: Circle of Stars

Druids of the Circle of Stars can switch between constellations, gaining unique bonuses that allow them to adapt to various roles on the battlefield, enhancing their strategic versatility.

Barbarian: Path of the Giant

Barbarians on the Path of the Giant enter a rage, increasing in size and throwing weapons with enhanced damage, adding fire or lightning effects. The weapon returns to their hand, and they gain bonuses in throwing skills and carrying capacity.

Image: x.com

Fighter: Mystic Archer

Mystic Archers blend magic and archery, firing enchanted arrows that can blind enemies, deal psychic damage, or banish opponents to another dimension, embodying traditional elven combat techniques.

Monk: Drunken Master

Monks of the Drunken Master subclass harness alcohol-induced strength, delivering devastating physical blows. Enemies struck become more vulnerable to subsequent attacks, making these monks formidable fighters.

Rogue: Swashbuckler

Swashbucklers, the quintessential pirate archetype, excel in close combat using dirty tricks like throwing sand to blind enemies, quick thrusts to disarm, or taunts to demoralize, perfect for fans of Astarion.

Bard: College of Glamour

Bards from the College of Glamour are the rock stars of the Forgotten Realms, charming enemies and supporting allies with their charisma, capable of enchanting foes into submission, making them flee, approach, freeze, fall down, or drop their weapons.

Image: x.com

Ranger: Swarmkeeper

Rangers as Swarmkeepers command hordes of tiny creatures, debuffing enemies. With bee swarms to repel, honey swarms to stun, and moth swarms to blind opponents, they can switch swarm types upon leveling up, adding tactical depth to their combat strategy.

Paladin: Oath of the Crown

Paladins who follow the Oath of the Crown are the epitome of lawfulness and righteousness. They gain abilities to boost allies, draw enemy attention, and absorb damage for teammates, making them essential in team-based play.

Photo Mode

The long-awaited photo mode comes with extensive camera settings and advanced post-processing effects, allowing players to capture high-quality screenshots of their adventures.

Image: x.com

Cross-Play

Cross-platform multiplayer will now be available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Windows, and Mac. The closed stress test focuses on fine-tuning this feature to ensure a seamless and bug-free experience for all players.

Gameplay, Combat, and Story Improvements

Patch 8 introduces several enhancements to gameplay, combat, and story:

• 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 properly displayed after dialogue in the High Hall.
• Items like scrolls and potions inside unlocked containers can now be used during conversations.
• Neutral and friendly NPCs no longer become hostile when stepping on surfaces created during combat.
• Resolved a bug causing characters to get stuck climbing stairs occupied by companions.
• Fixed an issue with moving platforms in the Shan Trial location, preventing characters from falling to their deaths.
• Corrected a glitch where neutral NPCs would initiate combat without cause.
• Keris will stop engaging 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 you could tell Astarion that Gandrel was looking for him, even if Gandrel refused to reveal his target.
• Mintara no longer gets stuck while watching over Taniel in Act 2.
• Your character will no longer mistakenly believe Shadohurt is dead if she isn’t.
• Discovered merchants will now appear on the world map regardless of distance.

Image: x.com

Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 is slated for release in February or early March 2025. Following this update, Larian Studios will shift focus to bug fixes, with no further major updates planned.