As we celebrate the final major patch for Baldur’s Gate 3, we have nothing but gratitude for all the support you've shown along the way. While this marks the end of one chapter, it's also the beginning of an exciting new journey ahead - and we can't wait to share more with you soon.

In the meantime, we’re here to help you get comfy with Patch 8, from enabling cross-play with friends across platforms to choosing the perfect new subclass for your next adventure. To help make your travels around the Sword Coast as delightful as possible, Hotfix #32 is also going live today, where we’re tackling some crashes and performance issues. Check out the hotfix notes below!


Game Version: 4.1.1.6848561


The update to the toolkit will begin rolling out later today

• Fixed a potential crash caused by entering invalid control characters when renaming or creating resources.

• Fixed a crash when changing input mode while launching a multiplayer game.
  
• Fixed a crash on Xbox cross-play when suspending the game while transitioning between regions.
  
• Fixed a crash when playing on split-screen with DLSS on Vulkan.
  
• Fixed some potential crashes and performance issues as a result of auras trying to apply themselves to items that can't have auras.

• Fixed a bug causing Starry Forms to be removed by the Shadow Curse.

• Fixed a bug on multiplayer where the client's avatar would appear invisible until they moved around.
  
• Fixed a bug causing the game world and the Main Menu background to appear black after you return to them from Character Creation.

• Fixed a bug letting you enable cross-play and invite players while running a non-cross-play session. If you want your friends to join you in an existing campaign, you'll need to make sure the save you want to use has cross-play enabled. Find out how by reading on below!

• Fixed some developer text appearing on the Upcast Bonus tooltip when upcasting Shadow Blade.
  
• Fixed a bug causing the latest savegame to get deleted instead of the currently selected one if you quickly spam the delete button.
  
• Fixed the 'Enable' button being greyed out in the Mod Verification window while using a controller.
  
• Made sure the Direct Connect option doesn't show up in the cross-play settings, where it is not possible to use.

• Half Plate Armour +2 having missing material for male halflings and causing clipping on female gnomes.

If you’re looking to play with friends across the pond, first things first, we need to get you all set up by having everyone in your party link their preferred platform account to their Larian Account.

You can do this by going to https://larian.com/account/connected and connecting your account. Easy so far, right? Once that's done, it's time to make sure your party all have cross-play enabled in the game settings.

1. Select "Options" on the Main Menu
   
2. Under the Gameplay tab, scroll down until you see "Allow Cross-Play"
   
3. Check the box

Now you need to add your friends on the Larian Network so you can invite them to play.

1. From the Main Menu, log in using the "Larian Account" button on the bottom right
   
2. Once you're logged in, click "Manage Account", again on the bottom right of the Main Menu
   
3. Select "Friends List"
   
4. Give your friend a nudge and ask them to send you their Larian Account username
   
5. Click on "Add Friends" and enter their username
   
6. Send them a friend request

If you want your friends to join you in an existing campaign, you'll need to make sure the save you want to use has cross-play enabled.

1. Select "Load Game" on the Main Menu
   
2. Select the savegame you'd like to enable cross-play on, and enable cross-play using the "Cross-Play" checkbox
   
3. Load the savegame
   
4. Once in your save, navigate to "Multiplayer" and invite your friend

Want to start a new game with your party? Create a cross-play multiplayer lobby:

1. Select "Multiplayer" on the Main Menu
   
2. Select the “Cross-Play” tab
   
3. Select “Create”
   
4. Invite your friends
   
5. Customise your options and select “Launch”

To join another player in multiplayer via cross-play:

1. Select "Multiplayer" on the Main Menu
   
2. Select the “Cross-Play” tab
   
3. Join the other player’s lobby
   
4. If you or the host are using mods and there are any discrepancies, the Mod Verification window will open to inform you of which mods need installing, uninstalling, or updating

Don’t forget that if you’re playing on PC with a modded save and have friends on console or Mac joining you, you’ll need to make sure that the existing savegame doesn’t have more than 100 mods, and that the mods enabled are available to console and Mac players. You can check this by looking for the “Available on Mac and Console” filter option in the Mod Browser, or checking to see whether this tag is listed on the mod's Mod Details page.

If visual guides are more your thing, we’re back with another in-depth video on accessing cross-play! Check it out below.




Fancy starting a new campaign with total strangers? Say less. If you’re not already on our Discord server, get yourself there and check out the LFG channel, where you can meet more people across different platforms who are looking to start their next playthrough.



If you’re still struggling with which subclass to pick for your next run, we’re going back to the basics to help you choose.


Available to choose from Level 3, these Barbarians draw their strength from the fury of the giants, allowing them to increase their size as well as their physical strength. A good one to choose if you feel called to kick your enemies off a ledge, or, you know, throw a bewildered companion at them.


Also available from Level 3, College of Glamour Bards are taught their art by the fey, making them the perfect choice for those who see themselves as superstars, captivating and entrancing audiences. Step in to defend your allies with your undying Charm, and use that voice of yours to Command and control enemies.


Time to die indeed. These Clerics draw their faith from the forces of death - both those that cause it and those that raise and puppet the undead. Looking to add a bit of darkness to your playthrough? Go for the Death Domain Cleric and you can blow up nearby corpses and impale everyone around them, straight from Level 1.


If the twinkling lights draw you in at night, then the Circle of Stars Druid could be the subclass for you. Their powers come from the constellations, where they choose to embody the stars rather than fur and flesh. From Level 2, you’ll be able to assume a Starry Form, granting new abilities and bonuses to combat and healing.


Available to choose from Level 3, Arcane Archer Fighters show you how archery is done when a little magic is involved. This style of combat, created by the elves, sees you shooting arrows of arcane energy where having good aim isn’t a necessity. Someone annoying you? Stick ‘em with your Banishing Arrow and send them to the Feywild.


Responsibly obtained at Level 3, these Monks hide skillful hits beneath a stumbling exterior. Regain Ki by consuming alcohol, a skill we’re sure many of us wish we had, before punching your enemies drunk and hitting them with Sobering Realisation, dealing Psychic damage and sobering them back up.


Complete with a fancy new starting armour at Level 1, the Oath of the Crown binds a Paladin to uphold civilisation and order, deal with the consequences of their actions, and keep their word. Definitely not a subclass for someone who can’t stay committed. You’ll need to be careful about the promises you make and keep your focus on supporting and protecting allies.


If you prefer the safety of groups, then Swarmkeeper Ranger is the one for you. At Level 3, these Rangers are called to ally themselves with the less fluffy creatures in nature, gaining the creatures' power in return. You can summon a flurry of moths that deal Psychic damage, a cloud of jellyfish that deal Lightning damage, or RELEASE THE BEES.


Ideal for those who can’t stop themselves responding with “aye” and “arr” in any conversation, the Swashbuckler Rogue subclass adds combat with a piratical flair. Play dirty from Level 3 by whipping sand out of your pocket to blind your enemies, or jump in and out of combat before your enemies can even react.


Dark and gloomy more your vibe? Try the Shadow Magic Sorcerer, who draws their magic from the Shadowfell at Level 1. Besides giving you immaculate goth vibes, you will be able to teleport between shadows and summon a Hound of Ill Omen to surprise and trap your enemies. You’ll be able to grow your very own cult with these bad boys, who, once attacked, will splinter into multiple versions of themselves.


Having struck a contract with a sentient weapon also originating from the Shadowfell, you will start the game with a bound weapon - a Hexed Sickle, Hexed Maul, or Hexed Flail - that curses your targets. Once your cursed enemies are killed, you can have them rise as Accursed Spectres, slicing your enemies in a flurry of scythes and allowing you to syphon their health. Great for roleplaying the grim reaper, if you’re into that.


A fan of pointy objects and magic casting? Bladesinging Wizards follow a technique that claims its name from the ringing of a blade as it’s unsheathed, gracefully leaping and slashing between enemies. At Level 2, you’ll be able to choose this subclass and attack with your Bladesong, building up to a Bladesong Climax, unleashing damage upon your enemies and healing your allies. Nice.

If you’re still stuck on what to roll next, don’t forget to check out our video breakdown!

If any doubt remains that games are art, it can only come from those who haven't witnessed the unearthly beauty of a perfectly captured Photo Mode screenshot. We’ve selected a few especially creative pieces for you to check out below, alongside some truly awesome artwork based on our final animated short in collaboration with Spud Gun Studios - which, if you haven’t watched yet, you should.


Posted to X by @DPLaoag


Posted to Reddit by u/Eyrika


Posted to X by @Ggyeoly27


Posted to Reddit by u/Grubbs2000


Posted to X by @CYMK_8


Posted to Reddit by u/HuliGaani


Posted to Tumblr by mantis-on-a-table


Posted to Discord by Khaz


Posted to Tumblr by sosadandsilly




Posted to X by @QueenOfTriforce


Posted to Discord by Holofaye


Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or just really engrossed in all that’s new with Patch 8, in which case, we’ll let you off), you might’ve noticed our new weekly stream schedule!

Each Wednesday from 1pm UTC, you’ll find our Senior Communications Developer, Aoife Wilson, adventuring in Baldur’s Gate 3, sometimes with special guests. We’re dilly-dallying a Dark Urge run currently, where bards have been slain, and where you voted to kick the squirrel.

Join us tomorrow on Twitch and catch up on the latest streams here!

Hey everyone,

Been tripping hard? It’s not you, it’s us. (Probably.). Today’s hotfix aims to tackle the kaleidoscope of colours that appear when changing locations, as well as various other bugs that have made their way into the game.

We’re still fixing a few things, and will continue to release small hotfixes addressing bugs in the game. Please report any issues with our Support Team.

Missed out on what’s new on Patch 8? Read all about it here, and tune into today’s stream as our Dark Urge run continues over on Twitch from 1pm UTC!

• Fixed a potential crash when loading a level without a required mod and then loading with the required mod.

• Fixed a crash when hovering over certain items in the inventory or while trading.
  
• Fixed trippy, high-saturation graphical artefacts appearing in-game, often when teleporting using waypoints.

• Hexblade warlocks can now replace a spell at Level 2 like the other warlock subclasses.
  
• Immutable Form now reacts to Arcane Shot: Banishing Arrow.
  
• The Fancy Footwork passive now also works even if you miss.
  
• Vaprak's Greed now takes into account Human Versatility and increases carrying capacity accordingly by another quarter.
  
• Arcane Shot: Grasping Arrow can now also damage Flying targets when they move.
  
• Removed the Long Rest indicator on the Accursed Spectre passive tooltip.
  
• Dazzling Breath now correctly applies the spellcasting ability modifier when an enemy succeeds its Saving Throw.
  
• Dismissing Wind Walk and Gaseous Form will no longer also remove your Starry Form.
  
• The Shadow Blade no longer shows an empty tooltip when you examine the item while upcasting.
  
• Fixed a bug causing Shadow Blade to lose properties when other conditions are removed. This could cause, for example, the blade to lose any bonus damage when Concentration is broken.
  
• Piercing Arrow's overall damage is now also reduced by half rather than just the bonus damage.
  
• Curving Shot will now only target enemies and not neutral parties. (This could cause neutral parties to, then, naturally, also become your enemies.)
  
• Fixed a bug allowing Sneak Attacks to be triggered on Dirty Trick: Sand Toss.

• Removed some defunct dialogue that mistakenly made it into Minthara's Speak with Dead dialogue in Patch 8.
  
• Fixed an issue preventing you from waking up if you Long Rested while Shadowheart was killed outside of camp after deciding her parents' fate.
  
• The recast of Cloudkill at Level 6 is now accurately marked as Level 6 instead of Level 5 in the UI.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing you from moving corpses into containers on the controller or split screen UI.
  
• Fixed a multiplayer bug where the Traveller's Chest belonging to the client wouldn't show up in the Basement (Blighted Village) camp in Act I.
  
• Fixed the Illusory Double invoked with Invoke Duplicity appearing to lack equipment and armour.
  
• Fixed a bug where if you had Scratch summoned and then travelled to a new region, he would be dismissed once the new region loaded and, as a bonus, appear dead in your party line.
  
• All barbarian Rages now correctly gain 3 damage bonus, instead of the previous 2, for objects thrown in a Rage once they hit Level 9.
  
• The movement-based Booming Blade condition will no longer apply to inanimate objects that can't move on their own anyway.

• Fixed Wild-Shaped boars and cats not paying proper attention to the 'Look at Camera' option.
  
• Fixed a 'FileSystem error' potentially triggering for users who use non-Latin Windows user accounts when trying to save a screenshot using Photo Mode.

• Fixed inconsistent damage values on the Booming Blade tooltips at higher levels.
  
• Fixed a bug causing certain skill tooltips to not appear when you hover over them unless you pin them.
  
• Fixed a Twitch extension bug causing the overlays to disappear on Twitch as soon as you click on them.

Hey everyone,

A small hotfix is now rolling out, bringing multiple cross-play fixes and patching up some instances of crashing. Certain betentacled individuals will now be more amenable to having their picture taken – give us a smile, petal!

While Patch 8 was the last major patch for Baldur’s Gate 3, we will continue to release small hotfixes addressing bugs in the game. If you have come across any issues, please make sure to report them to our Support Team.

Missed out on what’s new on Patch 8? Read all about it here!

• Fixed an incorrect 'Missing XAML' error message showing up in the main menu after deleting mods and switching input mode from keyboard and mouse to controller.
  
• Fixed Mod Manager reports coming through to mod authors from seemingly anonymous users, even if those users were logged in properly.
  
• Fixed a scrolling issue on the Mod Details page on mods with lots of tags.

• Fixed the wrong range on Divine Allegiance – it now triggers within standard melee range as indicated in the tooltip.
  
• Fixed an issue with the way the Gloves of Battlemage's Power interact with dual-wielded weapons.
  
• Fixed a bug causing paladins to lose their Auras after a Long Rest.
  
• The War Priest attack will no longer disable if the character moves before attacking.
  
• Tavern Brawler no longer adds a damage bonus to Elemental Cleaver's elemental damage in Honour Mode.
  
• Fixed a bug where, if you told the goblins at Moonrise Towers to sacrifice themselves, the subsequent cinematic wouldn't play correctly and the goblins would become uninteractable.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing camera movement with WASD while Shift is pressed.
  
• Polearm Clout now properly gains bonuses to its weapon damage from various sources.
  
• Weapons bound using Pact of the Blade or Hexblade now properly use the Charisma modifier for the Polearm Clout attack.
  
• Magical Ambush, Skilled Skullduggery, and Lethal Concealment no longer keep disappearing while sneaking.
  
• Recasting Cloudkill after upcasting it to Level 6 will now cast the correct upcasted version. Also fixed the upcasted Cloudkill visuals.
  
• Updated Shadow Blade to only give Advantage to melee weapon attacks made while the Shadow Blade is equipped.

• Fixed a bug where the client would get stuck in a loading screen when attempting to join a cross-play lobby uninvited.
  
• Fixed a bug letting you enable cross-play and invite players while in a non-cross-play session if you accessed the settings via the escape menu.
  
• Fixed a bug letting users try to join the lobby in the friends panel before the lobby list was updated.
  
• Fixed an issue causing cross-play hosts to get stuck at 0% loading if a client joins the game while the host is in the cinematic after Character Creation.
  
• Added a timeout that will bring you back to the main menu if your attempt to join a cross-play game fails.
  
• If your connection is interrupted on PC and you get the 'Online features are disabled' message, your online session settings will now be disabled as indicated. This mimics the existing flow on consoles.
  
• Improved the handling of network disconnections for cross-play.
  
• Made username character limits consistent across platforms.

• Fixed the 'Highlights' setting not working properly on consoles.
  
• Fixed the 'Mirror' option on Photo Mode appearing in English across the localised versions of the game.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing you from selecting Tavflayer or Karlachflayer in the Photo Mode settings.

• Kills made while drunk as a Way of the Drunken Master monk now count towards the Punch Drunk achievement. It's only fair.
  
• Updated the description for the Shadow Infusion condition tooltips, which still had developer text in them.
  
• The chance to inflict Hexblade's Curse on a hit no longer increases every time the Warlock uses Bind Hexed Weapon.
  
• Circle of the Stars druids can now gain the additional Wild Shapes (Deep Rothé, Panther, Owlbear, Dilophosaurus).

• Fixed the Bonus Action icon missing on controller tooltips for some players with modded games.
  
• Fixed the 'Choices Pending!' message showing up during Character Creation after disabling a mod related to colour choices when randomising a character's appearance.
  
• On controller, briefly delayed the cursor selection on mods in the Mod Verification window until the list of mods has properly loaded.
  
• Fixed some missing Action Resource icons when pinning tooltips on controller.
  
• Prevented switching between controller and keyboard and mouse when the game is already switching.
  
• Fixed the Spell Slot resource not showing up on tooltips in the Prepare Spells tab during Level Up.
  
• Fixed a UI bug caused by opening the Action and Menu radials at the same time.
  
• Fixed the Surge Accuracy tooltip not linking out correctly to the Action Surge tooltip.
  
• Fixed the Quickened Mage Hand tooltip not linking out correctly to the Mage Hand tooltip.
  
• Fixed the tooltips for instruments missing information.
  
• Fixed a bug on controller where the selection box around tooltips would be larger than the tooltips themselves.

• Fixed some input delays on PS5 split-screen when both players are editing their Dream Guardian.
  
• Fixed a performance issue on M4 Macs causing stuttering in crowded areas.
  
• Fixed the game window freezing on Mac when launching the game without an internet connection.

• Sending a report through the Larian Crash Reporter no longer deletes the files containing your saved settings.

• Fixed the Shadow Blade SFX looping itself.

• Fixed lovely Buthir's arms getting glued to one spot during gameplay.
  
• Fixed a bug in a dialogue with Kagha at the Emerald Grove where she would glide across the ground on teeny tiny legs.

• Fixed a crash when switching from controller to keyboard and mouse after selecting 'Venture Forth'.
  
• Fixed a potential blocker in some savegames where, somehow, an Aura was stored in the savegame without a valid cause.
  
• Fixed a potential crash when dragging corpses' portraits onto the Party Line.
  
• Fixed a potential crash when immediately activating a controller during game startup.
  
• Fixed a potential crash related to multiplayer.
  
• Fixed a potential crash when launching on Vulkan on Snapdragon devices.
  
• Fixed a potential UI-related crash.
  
• Fixed a potential crash related to the dialogue UI.

Hiya hiya,

If you want to stay in the loop on all our news and updates, we’re now shouting into the void from even more corners of the internet. You might have noticed our slumbering BlueSky account is dusted off and now active. Then our Community Team took the next most natural step and joined Tumblr - because if the gang are going to star in a thousand slow-burn romance fics, we might as well be there to see it.
In other news, some of you on PS5 might have accidentally stumbled into Patch 8 a little early - whoops! If you’re one of the few wondering what the heck is going on, don’t worry. You can roll back to Patch 7 by deleting and reinstalling the game. Full details here, click away. Think of it as a time-travel mechanic.

And with that, the Patch 8 stress test is in fact now live for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC!

If you’ve registered to take part on either PlayStation or PC, look out for an email from us with your game code and details on how to access the stress test.

If you’ve registered through the Xbox Insider Programme, the Baldur’s Gate 3 Stress Test application is now live in the Xbox Insider Hub, for you to download! For more details on this, please click here.

To learn more about how to set up a cross-play lobby and discover the bug fixes arriving in Patch 8, please read on!


During the Patch 8 stress test, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC players will be able to test out cross-play by either creating or joining a lobby.

If you want to try out cross-play with your friends on other platforms and have now been given access to the stress test but your friends haven’t, you can request extra Patch 8 stress test keys for PlayStation and Steam (PC) by heading to: https://larian.com/account/connected and linking your game account with your Larian account.

Check out the handy video below for a step-by-step on getting set up with cross-play!



After enabling cross-play from the multiplayer online settings, you’ll be able to either create or join your own cross-play multiplayer lobby. Head to the Multiplayer menu, select Cross-Play and create your lobby!

For the Patch 8 stress test, we recommend that console players host a cross-play lobby if wanting to play with a PC player.

You can add friends using the Larian Network by clicking on the + icon from the Create Lobby screen during cross-play set-up. Enter their Larian account username and send the request! Once they have accepted it, you will be able to view them online and invite them to your lobby.


While we recommend that console players host a cross-play lobby, if you're looking to join a modded PC lobby, the PC host must have less than 100 mods installed on that save and only include mods that are accepted on console and Mac, which are indicated by the “Available on Mac and Console” tag when browsing available mods. Otherwise, a mod mismatch will be detected, and you will not be able to join the host’s game.


Wanting to play multiplayer a little closer to home? Patch 8 will also bring split-screen to Xbox Series S consoles! If you’re joining the stress test from an Xbox, you’ll be able to try this out early.
Register For The Patch 8 Stress Test

The stress test is now live, and if you’ve already registered on either PlayStation or PC, access details will be sent to your email inbox. If you’re playing on Xbox, you’ll need to download the Xbox Insider Hub App to become an Xbox Insider and join the playtest from the app.

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can still register your interest by clicking on the banner below!





While some of you will get to try out Patch 8 for yourself, starting today, here’s just some of what you can expect with Patch 8 once it is ready for release!

• Photo mode
  
• 12 new subclasses
  
• Cross-play
  
• Xbox Series S split screen

• When you succeed a Perception check, the spotted item will now ping on the minimap and be listed in the combat log.
  
• Fixed an issue where the special abilities of some of your allies weren't properly provided at the end of the dialogue with them at High Hall.
  
• Scrolls and potions inside unlocked containers in your party inventory can now be used when rolling in dialogues.
  
• Neutral and friendly NPCs will no longer become hostile when, outside of combat, they walk into surfaces created during combat that trigger passives (like electrified surfaces triggering Thunderbolt Strike). Take it easy, lads.
  
• Fixed Freecast being reset when any condition is applied.
  
• Fixed characters getting stuck when pathfinding via a ladder that's already in use by another companion.
  
• Fixed a bug with the moving platform in the Gauntlet of Shar that would sometimes leave you behind, causing you to plummet to your death.

• Fixed an issue causing neutral NPCs to trigger combat for seemingly no reason.
  
• Cerys will stop getting involved in combats with Minthara from across the region. An eager beaver no longer.

• Fixed an issue causing you to get stuck at a 0% loading screen when attempting to join a multiplayer session that uses mods.
  
• The Mod Verification window will now trigger regardless of where the request to connect to a multiplayer game is coming from.
  
• Replaced the third-party mod warning with clearer messaging.

• Fixed the ruleset selector not appearing on the 'Alter Custom Mode' screen when accessing the ruleset settings via the multiplayer lobby.
  
• Improved server performance in the Adamantine Forge.

• Fixed an issue where you could tell Astarion that Gandrel has been looking for him even if Gandrel refused to tell you the name of his prey.
  
• Fixed a savegame issue where you wouldn't get the appropriate amount of Umbral Gems for the Gauntlet of Shar.
  
• Minthara now comments on the Emperor's reveal.
  
• Reminded Minthara that 'knocked out' does not mean 'dead', so she'll more reliably appear in Moonrise Towers.
  
• You can no longer teleport out of Moonrise while controlling Minthara unless you tell her to stay put.
  
• Minthara is now willing to talk to you after you tell her to wait in the torture chamber.
  
• Minthara no longer gets stuck babysitting Thaniel in Act II.
  
• Fixed an issue where you could talk about Art Cullagh as though he's alive even if he isn't.
  
• Your character will no longer think Shadowheart is dead if she isn't when talking to Viconia.
  
• Characters who were in a relationship with Gale when he sacrifices himself in the endgame to defeat the Netherbrain will now receive a tonally appropriate (read: lovey-dovey) letter.
  
• Fixed a dialogue issue preventing Avatar Gale from talking about the orb to Lae'zel after consuming a magic item.

• Discovered and available (non-hostile, alive, etc.) traders are now shown on the world map regardless of how far away you are from them.

• Shadowheart has agreed to stop repeatedly changing her hair colour during certain intimate moments.
  
• Tidied up and improved some cinematic animations for characters of different heights if you kiss during the evil ending.

• Fixed a duplicated dialogue option and the wrong version of another dialogue option appearing in Minthara's main party dialogue.

Patch 8 will bring a multitude of fixes for various crashes and blockers, combat bugs, scripting and flow issues, and more. The full patch notes will be shared once Patch 8 goes live!


Internal playtesting has been ongoing for several weeks now, and thanks to the introduction of photo mode in Patch 8, our playtesters have discovered new means to highlight some interesting issues.



While we don’t expect you to showcase every unexpected bug you run into (please, don’t do that), we would be grateful if you could report any issues you experience in the Patch 8 stress test using the existing bug reporting form. Please make sure to state “Patch 8” in the Game Version field!


As the Patch 8 stress test is a work-in-progress build, we’re aware of some issues, and have listed the ones relevant to the new features coming in Patch 8 below!

While it’s our hope that supported mods remain mostly unscathed with Patch 8, this stress test also helps us understand how your mods interact with the latest patch and identify any issues ahead of release.

• ImpUI users may find that radial descriptions aren’t visible, and some menu options don’t work as intended. If you are joining us for the stress test, we recommend creating a new save or loading an existing save that does not use ImpUI or any mods that use ImpUI as a dependency.

• Photo Mode becomes visually corrupted when using Vulkan.

• Some lines in the cross-play settings aren’t fully localised.
  
• Players in a multiplayer lobby can lose movement input after picking up an item.

• Some keyboard hotkeys and controller buttons may stop working after trading with merchants.

Gale refuses to eat his magical items, even after requesting them.

Keep an eye out for updates during the Patch 8 stress test as we continue working on fixing these issues!


We want to know how you get on with Patch 8, so we have created a short form for you to share your experience with us. If you’ve been accepted into the stress test, look out for the link in your access email!

And with that, we’ll catch you next time.

Good news, everyone! It’s January. The world has finished another lazy rotation around the Sun, and as you’re gazing into the murky horizon of 2025 like a groundhog in search of Spring, we’re hard at work to bring you your next excuse to return to Faerûn.
Patch 8 is still moving along nicely, but before we let you in on the upcoming stress test to try your hand at breaking things, we’re adding some finishing touches and working with our partners to ensure you can fully test cross-play. We hope to let you into the Patch 8 stress test towards the end of this month.

Today’s community update is here to remind you of what’s arriving in our final major patch and uses the upcoming photo mode to celebrate some of the creations you’ve shared with us during our journey together. Someone grab the tissue, it can’t really be the end, can it?

Imagine a world, healed from all its pain, where Xbox, PlayStation, and PC gamers can finally be free of the barriers that once separated them. Finally, in Patch 8, no matter what platform, we can all come together in BG3 and unite in what matters: kissing weird guys and heaving goblins off cliffs.

During the Patch 8 stress test, registered Xbox, PlayStation, and PC players will be able to test out cross-play by either creating or joining a lobby and inviting friends through the Larian Network. With such a large technical feature being implemented, we’re keen to see how you get on with cross-play during the stress test so that we can make any small changes before Patch 8 is released!

While cross-play with Mac will be available from launch, unfortunately, Mac players won’t be able to take part in the stress test this time.


If you’ve not yet signed up to take part in the Patch 8 stress test to help test things out, you can still register your interest by clicking on the banner with the handsome feller below!

Want to join the stress test from an Xbox? You’ll need to download the Xbox Insider Hub App to become an Xbox Insider and join the playtest from the app once the stress test begins to go live.





The final major patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 is right around the corner and will deliver several hotly anticipated features, including cross-play, photo mode, and 12 new subclasses, which you can read more about in Community Update #30.


Along with the new features, we’re continuing to clean up animation pops, clipping, and have fixed bugs, including the likes of:

• Fixed a savegame issue where you wouldn't get the appropriate amount of Umbral Gems for the Gauntlet of Shar.
  
• Fixed an issue causing you to get stuck at a 0% loading screen when attempting to join a multiplayer session that uses mods.
  
• Your character will no longer think Shadowheart is dead if she isn't when talking to Viconia.
  
• Halsin will now show up to your camp in Act II as long as you save him, even if you happen to skip the celebration with the tieflings at camp.
  
• Improved performance in the Adamantine Forge.
  
• Minthara will now comment on the Emperor's reveal.
  
• Cerys will stop getting involved in combats with Minthara from across the region. An eager beaver no longer.
  
• We’ve also reminded Minthara that 'knocked out' does not mean 'dead', so she'll more reliably appear in Moonrise Towers.
  
• Fixed companions' lines getting cut off prematurely after Gale sacrifices himself alone at the end of the game.
  
• Fixed a bug preventing Wyll from commenting on Astarion holding a blade to your throat during Astarion's recruitment dialogue by the beach.
  
• Barcus is no longer Mike Wazowski'd by various items like cauldrons and bottles blocking him off from view when you talk to him at Last Light.

• Removed the third-party mods warning and replaced it with clearer messaging.
  
• The Mod Verification window will now trigger regardless of where the request to connect to a multiplayer game is coming from.

With plenty more fixes to be included! And don’t worry, this isn’t the end of our bug fixing.


Soon there will be 12 new ways to experience Baldur’s Gate 3 - a new subclass is being added for each of the 12 classes in the game, complete with new VFX and animations that we teased in Community Update #31.

You’ve got to try out all of them, right?


When they tell me not to touch the uranium.


Patch 8 also introduces photo mode, so get ready to smile for the camera, or if you’re like Karlach, stare into the middle-distance as you contemplate all your past mistakes.



While you’re adventuring around the Sword Coast, you’ll be able to toggle photo mode on or off and play around with a multitude of options for the party you’ve brought along with you, including during combat encounters. Position them to your liking, change facial expressions to fit the scene, and play around with the camera, lens, and scene settings.

During dialogues and cinematic scenes, you won’t be able to alter the camera or position your party, but you will have access to a whole bunch of post-processing effects, such as colour-grading settings, frames, and stickers, that can be used whether you’re tottering around Baldur’s Gate, or kissing your beloved.

To give you a taste of the poses available in photo mode, we’re paying homage to some of your finest memes, moments, and masterpieces. Check them out below, and be sure to drop by the original creator’s work to show your appreciation!


Get you a druid who can do both. Posted on Reddit by u/bwubwerr.


Blade of Frontiers by day, nap enthusiast by initiative order. Posted on Reddit by u/Sporshie.


Even the Astral Plane can’t save you from the midweek grind. Artwork illustrated by mintcrows on X.


This will look great over the fireplace in our pocket dimension. Posted on Reddit by u/NightwingMage.


Sweet dreams and all that. Posted to Tumblr by quacaserous.


While Patch 8 won’t allow you to romance a water elemental, you can do whatever is happening here.


The bearer of bad news. Posted to Tumblr by cyberth0t.


Thanks, Elminster. Posted to Reddit by u/grellskendyr.


Don’t worry, they’ll jump down as soon as you head on back up. Posted to Tumblr by lookitsstevie

But at least she looked cute doing it, right? Posted to Reddit by u/urielopos


A true critical success. A frame from the iconic animation created by 예이헴yayhem.

We’re looking forward to seeing the creativity you’ll bring once you get your hands on Patch 8!


With Patch 7 introducing more features to Baldur’s Gate 3, and now with Patch 8 on the horizon, we have adjusted our minimum specification for Mac players. For your game to run smoothly, we recommend updating to macOS 14 (version 14.7.1) or later. If you’re running a system that cannot update to these specifications, you can continue playing Baldur’s Gate 3 up to Patch 6, by changing which game version you’re loading.

To do this:

1. Right Click on Baldur’s Gate 3 from your Steam Library and select Properties
   
2. From the left-hand side menu, select Betas
   
3. Use the Beta Participation drop-down option to change the beta branch to release_patch6_hf9

You will be able to continue playing saves made on Patch 6.


We’re entering 2025 with more than 100 million mods downloaded! Give yourselves a pat on the back, because that is a very nice number.

The team is also back to our regular cadence of curating mods for console, so be on the lookout for more mods being approved soon!

Howdy gang,

One last update to share with you before we leave you to your tryptophanic rest this holiday season.

It’s been a banner December here for Larian. Last week, you helped us take home the Best Community Support award for the second year running. Then you nominated us for the Labor of Love category in the Steam Awards 2024. And we aren’t slowing down.

Much like a certain jolly elf and his industrious band of shorter elves, Swen and team are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the Patch 8 stress test build - set to go live in January. Read on to find out how you and your friends can take part!

We’re also winding down on mod curation for consoles during the holidays, which will resume as normal once we return refreshed in the new year! (If you’re unsure about the process involved in bringing mods to consoles and the guidelines we must follow, you can check out our latest video with Aoife by clicking here!)

And if you haven't dug into our official Advent Calendar yet, you're missing out on daily puzzles, new art and wallpaper inspired by Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin, instrumentals from BG3 composer Borislav “Bobby” Slavov, and a festive poem read by none other than Amelia Tyler - in which she offends all your poetic senses by rhyming “Northdark County” with “Tim Downey”.




Give the gift of cross-play, and prepare your friends for Patch 8 with Baldur’s Gate 3 now on sale with 20% off across Steam, GOG, PlayStation, and Xbox!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1086940/Baldurs_Gate_3/

Available to players on Steam PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, you can now register to take part using the form linked below.


A stress test aims to do exactly what it sounds like; rigorously test the latest game version to detect any instability or gameplay issues before Patch 8 releases. With your help, we’ll be able to keep an eye on any funny business.

Cross-Play

Bringing cross-play to a game the size of Baldur’s Gate 3 has been no easy task, and we want your help to test-drive this new functionality.

Share the stress test registration link to summon your friends and settle in for a cross-play campaign, or head to the Larian Studios Discord Server to look for a group to play with.

Patch 8 & Supported Mods

Supported mods should remain free of issues, however, this stress test is also a great opportunity to monitor how these mods interact with the new features Patch 8 introduces.

Discord Channels & Your Experience

Should you wish to take part, you’ll be able to submit responses in our feedback form to help us make any small tweaks and adjustments before Patch 8 is released. We’ll also have testing channels open in the Discord server, where you can call upon our Community Team for guidance installing the stress test and share information about your experience playing with Patch 8!


Whether you’re playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox, you now have the opportunity to register your interest to take part in the Patch 8 stress test!

Once you register, look out for a future email with details on how to access the stress test. The process will vary per platform, so please make sure all the details you’re submitting are correct.

Joining us from an Xbox? You’ll need to download the Xbox Insider Hub App to become an Xbox Insider and join the playtest from the app.

Please note: Registering your interest does not guarantee access!

Playing With Friends

For friends on a different platform, let them know the stress test is happening and share this link so that they can also register!

Ready? Click on the image below to sign up.




Q: Can anyone participate?
A: Unfortunately, GOG and Mac players won’t be able to join us for this one.

Q: How do I register my interest to join the stress test?
A: To register your interest, please follow this link: https://larian.com/stress-test-register


Q: How do I register if I am an Xbox player?
A: If you’d like to join the Patch 8 stress test from your Xbox console, you’ll need to register for the Xbox Insider Programme and download the Xbox Insider Hub App. Look out for further announcements from us to know when the stress test is live!

Q: Can I stream or share footage/images from the stress test?
A: Feel free to post about your experience on social media, but please let your audience know you’re showcasing playtest footage. You know, in case there are any weird bugs. Want to deck out your stream with some BG3 overlays? Download them here!

Q: Will everyone gain access to the stress test on day one?
A: Access will be rolled out in waves, however, please note that registering your interest in the stress test does not guarantee access.

Q: Will my save games from the stress test work with Patch 8?
A: We cannot guarantee that save games created during the stress test will remain compatible with the actual patch 8 release.

Q: Why do I need to give my location for a PlayStation code and not for other platforms?
A: Playstation operates regional stores so the code you receive needs to be region specific in order to properly function. For other platforms we can issue uniform codes globally.


Not ready for your adventure to end? Pick up the award winning Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition, now on sale with 90% off until January 2nd.

Take on foes in the turn-based combat you know and love, and explore a world that reacts to who you are and the choices you make, while you fight to rid the world of those who use the foulest of magics.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/373420/Divinity_Original_Sin__Enhanced_Edition/




Got this far and still have no idea what we’ve been talking about? Check out our last community update for details on what’s coming with Patch 8, including 12 new subclasses, photo mode, and cross-play!

Now rest up, we’ll see you next year.

With love,
Larian

Hello friends,

It’s that time of year again, nominations for the Steam Awards 2024 are now underway!

Should you feel like nominating Baldur’s Gate 3 in the Labor of Love category this year, we thought we’d offer a little look back at what we’ve been doing over the past 12 months.

With two new major game patches bringing continued improvements, including numerous new ways to kiss your beau, encouraging you to be naughty with new evil ending cinematics, and a custom ruleset mode to customise your gameplay experience, we also handed you the keys to creation with the Baldur’s Gate 3 Modding Toolkit, while bringing modding to console players as well.

And we’re not done yet! In case you missed it, head over to our latest Community Update to learn more about what’s coming to Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2025, including Cross-play, Photo Mode, and 12 new subclasses!

This is all possible thanks to your support and passion. So if you feel like throwing some extra love our way, we would be honoured to be your nominated game in the “Labor of Love” category in the Steam Awards.

Thank you, we’ll be seeing you again real soon!

Like an aged mentor in an inspiring 1980s film montage, we’re filled with pride seeing all the mods you've been crafting and using since the release of our official mod tools in September. In just under three months, you've uploaded more than 3,000 mods, downloaded over 70 million, and created a spell to turn your enemies into cheese.

For those of you looking for an introduction to using mods, head over to Larian: Channel From Hell where Aoife will break things down and shine a spotlight on a few choice recommendations. While we’ll be wrapping up our feature-heavy updates for Baldur’s Gate 3 soon, this is not yet the end for our mod tools. With the continued support of mod authors in the community testing out new features, we have big updates still to come - including adding even more functionality to let you tell your own stories.

But before we bid Faerûn adieu in search of stranger shores, we have one more major patch waiting around the corner. Arriving next year, this update will introduce some of the most eagerly awaited features to BG3: cross-play, and photo mode, along with 12 new subclasses.

Let’s take a look at what you can expect to see in Patch 8!

Whether you’re joining PS5 players from your PC, or jumping into a game with Mac users from your Xbox, Baldur’s Gate 3 multiplayer will soon feature full cross-platform progression, including cross-play - just as the gaming gods intended.

Once the update is live you’ll be able to invite your friends to join your cross-play lobby directly, regardless of platform and find available multiplayer lobbies with friends on other systems using the Larian Network.



On that note, Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently 20% off on Steam, GOG, and PlayStation!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1086940/Baldurs_Gate_3/

Patch 8 will introduce a new way to play your favourite class, adding one new subclass for each of the existing Bard, Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard classes in the game.

Expect new abilities, animations, VFX, summons and cantrips, and unique voiced dialogue lines for the Oathbreaker Knight with written reactivity for Oathbreakers, along with a touch of homebrewing on certain actions to enhance your role-playing experience.


As a College of Glamour Bard, you’ll find you have the power to heal friends and command enemies in equal measure. Cast Mantle of Inspiration to bestow your allies with 5 temporary hit points. And should an enemy attack while it is cast, they’ll find themselves Charmed. Play your hand correctly and you’ll be able to use this to your advantage with Mantle of Majesty. Target Charmed enemies and you can command them to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop their weapon.




Opt for the Path of Giants, and your newfound giant strength will make it easier for you to yeet friend and foe alike. Forget chugging potions to pump those muscles, these Barbarians benefit from the Giant’s Rage passive that grants both strength and size - allowing you to deal additional damage with Throw attacks. Pockets weighing you down? Not for you and your increased carry capacity!


As a cleric of death, you’ll find a few dark new tricks up your sleeves - from spells that specialise in necrotic damage to three new necromancy cantrips. This includes Toll The Dead, a cantrip that causes 1~8 damage when your cleric rings the bell of impending doom - a number that scales if your target has already been damaged. We’ve also added the homebrewed ability to explode nearby corpses, damaging enemies.




These Druids look to the stars for answers, accessing powers beyond those offered through the classic wildshapes. Taking on one of three Starry Forms for their power - the constellations of the Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Each one favours a different play style and strategy - the Archer dealing radiant damage with astral arrows, the life-giving Chalice restoring hitpoints to you and others nearby, and the wise Dragon, allowing you to deal damage with an added bonus to constitution rolls. The Starry Forms offer not just a celestial aesthetic, but practical, powerful options to enhance your role as a healer, fighter, or strategist.




You’ve been sworn to uphold the principles of law. Stay true to your oath and you'll be rewarded with the power to aid your allies and disrupt your foes. Guide your companions in battle with Righteous Clarity, taunt enemies with strategic interrupts, and keep your party standing strong with Divine Allegiance, absorbing their damage while restoring their health.


Mastering the dual arts of magic and marksmanship, the Arcane Archer subclass offers unique skills on top of new shooting animations. Banish foes to the Feywild, removing them from the battlefield for a turn, or unleash Psychic damage that forces enemies to make a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the start of their next turn.




Putting the brew in homebrew, as the Drunken Master, you have the ability to consume alcohol straight from your inventory, as well as drink from bottles you see around the Sword Coast, in order to recover Ki. By sharing the bottle with your enemies using Intoxicating Strike, you’ll generate a buff towards your Armour Class and your Chance to hit Drunk targets. Drunk enemies are also susceptible to the Drunken Masters' other abilities, like Sobering Realisation - which sobers up drunk targets, dealing physical and Psychic damage.


The Swarmkeeper subclass provides Rangers with three kinds of deadly swarms to assist them in combat. The Cloud of Jellyfish deals extra lightning damage - potentially shocking your enemy. The Flurry of Moths deals Psychic damage, giving you the potential to Blind your enemy. The Legion of Bees deals piercing damage and forces the enemy to make a strength-saving throw or be knocked back 15ft. Each swarm also has the ability to provide you with teleportation capabilities!




This Rogue subclass introduces a range of new actions fit for the piratical life. Play dirty by tossing sand at enemies to Blind them. Flick your weapon at a target to Disarm them. Or use your new Fancy Footwork passive while meleeing your enemy to ensure they can’t make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.


As a Shadow Magic Sorcerer, you deal in a form of magic that makes you deadliest in darkness. This subclass gives its sorcerer Superior Darkvision, as well as the ability to Shadow Walk between places of dim light or darkness. It also lets you call forth the perfectly homebrewed Hound of Ill Omen to harass your foes, and use Strength of the Grave to prevent you from being downed - ideal for those attempting Honour Mode runs.




Hexblade Warlocks make a pact with an entity from the Shadowfell that manifests in the form of magical weapons. Curse your enemies and force their souls to do your bidding. Slay any enemy that isn’t generally an element of nature, construct, giant blob, or already dead, and you’ll be able to raise their spirit from their corpse for ten turns. This new summon can deal necrotic damage and will rip away a chunk of your enemy’s soul to provide your Hexblade Warlock with healing.


The Bladesinging subclass merges swordplay with wizardry. Expect new spellcasting animations when casting spells with your weapon, a new Bladesong ability to grant you supernatural speed, agility, and focus, plus gives you a bonus to any Constitution saving throw you make.



Finally, you can stop using pictures of fish you’ve caught on your dating profile and start snapping photos with your Hound of Ill Omen. Photo Mode is coming to Baldur’s Gate 3 in Patch 8!

Baldur’s Gate 3’s Photo Mode is a little like a photo booth that lets you set up pretty much any shot you’d like. This new feature introduces a whole slew of options to let you customise and edit your in-game photography, with various levels of freedom depending on whether you’re using it while adventuring, or during combat, dialogue, and cinematic scenes.


Toggleable from the HUD, located near the minimap, or by using the hotkey binding (F9 on PC, and by pressing both analog sticks at the same time on console), you’ll get to choose which character you want to take centre stage, determine their best side, and adjust the camera position to suit.

As long as they’re in your party while you’re adventuring, you’ll be able to line up your scene perfectly - including summons and those in a Wild Shape! For all budding virtual photographers, you can also turn on the camera reticle and composition grid to make sure you’re lining up the perfect shot.




Determined the angle and sorted the positioning? You’ll be able to jump over to the Lens Settings where you can play around with the Field of View, Exposure, Depth of Field, and Focus.




NPC ruining your shot? Toggle off either Playing, Party, NPC or Enemy characters.

Now you’re ready for your close-up! Or, if you’re feeling creative, set the scene for a full-on Faerûn musical - choose a set facial expression, plus a range of over 40 static and animated poses, each with multiple variations to help give you the perfect layout.



Internal playtesting for Patch 8 is already well underway, and we wanted to highlight just a couple of the great shots our playtesters have been grabbing using photo mode, and how they’ve chosen to edit them!


While you won’t be able to adjust your party or play around with lens and camera settings during cinematic scenes and dialogues, you’ll be able to colour-grade your shot and experiment with contrast, saturation, highlights, brightness and vignette.


Morphic Pool, by Celia Medvescig, Playtester


Add flair to your scene with a range of different frames and letterboxing to nail those cinematic shots.


Crèche, by Michael Simard, Playtester


Choose from over 300 stickers and add up to 30 to your scene, including emojis, icons, blood splatters, textures, objects and items, and of course, cat ears.



In your hands soon, you’ll be able to take role-play to the next level with unique combinations of poses, stickers, and frames. We can’t wait to see what absolute nightmare fuel you come up with.


A romantic moment between custom characters, by Helena Van de Veire, Playtester
With your feedback and support, our last patch brought some big changes to the game with just two bug-fixing hotfixes post-release. That’s a win in our books, and we’re looking to do the same again for Patch 8. So let’s talk stress testing!


This time, you’re invited to join us for a period of stress testing, where you can jump in and try out the new subclasses, explore Tav’s best angles in photo mode, and play with friends together on other platforms. Yep, this stress test will be available to those on Xbox and PlayStation, as well as PC!


The goal is to go beyond our internal testing and help us catch things before they can become an issue once a patch has been released.

Along with all of the newness coming in Patch 8, we’ll also be integrating a large selection of bug fixes and polishing up cinematics, including ensuring Shadowheart’s hair dye no longer washes away when she takes a dip with her romantic partner. We’ll be sharing more on what’s been fixed in a future update!


We’re looking to begin testing in early January, and you’ll have the opportunity to register your interest before then. Things will be done a little differently this time ‘round, so we’ll be back with Community Update #31 to take you through what’s being tested and how you can take part!

Don’t wait up pookie, we’ll chat with you soon.


We are deeply honoured by all of the awards that Baldur’s Gate 3 has been nominated for, and it goes without saying that our latest nomination for Best Community Support once again at The Game Awards 2024 has our hearts squeezing.

You’ve fuelled us with your questionably horny fanart, delusional tyrant fanfiction, and delightful array of mods, and we can’t wait to see how you bring this passion to our future games.

If you would like to support us at this year’s The Game Awards, you can vote for Baldur’s Gate 3 as Best Community Support before December 11th by clicking here. Watch the awards ceremony live on December 12 at 7:30pm EST on The Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels.


With December on our doorstep, we’re once again bringing back a little advent surprise, featuring a series of little treats for both the naughty and nice.

Keep an eye out later in December, for puzzles to earn rewards you'll cherish and remember!

Hey everyone,

There’s a small console-only hotfix going live today that resolves some stability and performance issues when using mods on console.


Unlike PC, consoles can only juggle so many files at once. The more mods you have installed, the quicker this file limit is reached. While we recommend only installing the mods you know you’ll definitely continue playing with, to maximise stability, we’re introducing a 100-mod limit for console platforms.


Console players won’t be able to load saves that already have 100 mods enabled. If you play on both PC and console using cross-saves and have more than 100 mods enabled on a save, you may be able to disable the number of active mods from your PC, so that you can continue accessing your cross-save on console.

We’ll be shipping another fix soon that will aim to give console players the means to access console saves that are disabled after today’s update. However, it is important to note that mods can cause general instability, particularly on console, and depending on the mods you’ve had enabled on a save, you may run into issues when disabling them from your PC.

If you’ve got more than 100 mods installed on console, they will be automatically uninstalled on your console, and you’ll need to redownload any mods you downloaded, begin a new save, or load an earlier save with fewer than 100 mods to continue playing on console.

While we are working on bringing cross-play to Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll also need to keep this limit in mind when playing with console players! But more on that later.

To read the full console hotfix notes, please click here.


Our Senior Communications Developer, Aoife, is back with another video that details how mods make their way to consoles! Learn more about the technical limitations and guidelines in place, as well as the processes behind console mod curation, including the importance of testing mods.

The team is working hard to test the latest versions of some mods currently available on console so they may be updated, and will continue to approve new mods that meet our guidelines and have successfully passed testing!



Read up on the modding guidelines by clicking here.