When does BG3’s Patch 8 release? Estimated date

After a year and a half of post-release content updates, Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally rolling out its final major update in Patch 8 with highly requested gameplay features and bug fixes. 

This final update gives the game everything it needs to thrive in the fan community’s hands while Larian moves on to other projects: a long-awaited photo mode to properly appreciate the game’s notoriously detailed graphics, cross-play between platforms to fully connect the playerbase, and some of the most popular subclasses for every class. 

The best part is that the closed stress test is live now, meaning the bulk of the work is done—you won’t have to wait too long to get your hands on Larian’s final touches for Baldur’s Gate 3. If you’re wondering when you can expect to see these changes, here’s our estimate for the release date of Patch 8.

Estimated release date for BG3 Patch 8

While some PS5 players were accidentally given access just before the stress test went live, there is currently no official release date for the full version of Patch 8. For now, an educated guess based on the contents of the update as well as the release timeline from previous patches lands in Spring 2025, likely sometime between the end of March and early April.

Patch 7 went live for a closed beta on July 25 before launching on Sept. 5, 2024, giving us roughly six weeks of testing as a comparison point. The stress test for Patch 8 went live on Jan. 28, and it was originally speculated to likely follow the same pattern and be released during the second week of March.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t released around the expected time, so this final update is still likely a ways away. With no official update date to go off, we can only speculate as to when it might arrive, but based on Larian’s current YouTube uploads, it seems like we still have at least another week or so to go.

As of March 17, there are two official YouTube videos breaking down four of the upcoming new subclasses. Each one goes over four of them, and since there are 12 in total, Larian still has one video left to upload. The first one was published on Feb. 21 and the second on March 7, so we can likely expect to see the final one on March 21. We at least know the update won’t be released before this date then, so it’s looking more likely that it may not be out until April.

There are more moving parts in the Patch 8 stress test to work out than in previous patches. The introduction of cross-play means testing not only the patch itself, but also gameplay stability across platforms with mods also taken into consideration—it wouldn’t be a surprise if Patch 8 took longer to refine than prior updates. There’s even a chance it won’t launch until May if they run into enough issues, but for now, things seem to be mostly pointing to an earlier release.

If we account for some wiggle room to Patch 7’s six-week timeline—as well as the seven-month gap between Patch 6 and 7—Patch 8 could be released as early as the end of March to anywhere in April. I think the middle to end of April seems most likely based on what we know so far.

Currently, there have been two updates on the stress test. The first was on Feb. 6, just over a week after it went live, and the second was published on Feb. 26. As of the time of writing, players are still being let into the stress test, so the update seems to still be being fine-tuned for release.

Hopefully, Larian will announce either a full release date or patch notes for the second stress test update soon. We’ll provide updates here as more information becomes available.

What’s in BG3’s Patch 8?

As promised in the initial announcement, Patch 8 will come with 12 new subclasses, photo mode, and cross-play, making quite a few popular mods obsolete upon release. The subclasses being added are:

• 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, Larian has also added some popular spells and cantrips: 

• Booming Blade
• Bursting Sinew
• Shadow Blade
• Staggering Smite
• Toll the Dead

Thanks to the live stress test, we also know how each new subclass plays from level to level—you can check out our full list of Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 subclasses and their abilities. 

Along with photo mode, cross-play, and split-screen functionality for Xbox Series S, Patch 8 will also come with some major bug fixes that have plagued players since the game’s initial release. For one, the infamous bug where the elevator platform in the Gauntlet of Shar randomly drops you to your death will be no more. Additionally, characters will stop getting stuck when “pathfinding via a ladder that’s already in use by another companion,” according to Community Update #33, fixing the frequent issue of accidentally leaving teammates behind on random balconies in Baldur’s Gate. 

Minthara enjoyers will also be happy to hear that many issues with the resident drow will be patched, including multiple issues during her recruitment at Moonrise Towers as well as her getting “stuck babysitting Thaniel” after his rescue. 

Can’t wait to get your hands on the new content? You can sign up for the stress test at the official website. Because the stress test has already been live for a while, there’s no guarantee you’ll get an access key before Patch 8 releases—but you’ll at least get yourself on the waiting list in case testing runs on longer than expected. 

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