If you’re looking for more reasons to replay Baldur’s Gate 3, then Larian Studios has some good news for you. They just announced a huge new update that might as well be a DLC , considering how comprehensive and expansive it is. More importantly, the timing was ripe for Larian Studios after a rather lukewarm RPG showing from Dragon Age 4 or Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
For the record, Baldur’s Gate 3‘s new and upcoming update is simply known as Patch 8. It will arrive early in 2025. This new update will add a whopping 12 new subclasses to the game. They’re mostly straight out of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything expansion book from Dungeons and Dragons. This happens to include the famed Hexblade subclass for the Warlock. For a full list of the subclasses, here are the 12 to be added:
| Class | Subclass |
|---|---|
| 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 |
All that essentially translates to 12 new ways to play the game and approach combat. Practically, it’s 12 more reasons to replay Baldur’s Gate 3. Granted, some modders have already added these subclasses, such as the Hexblade mod. Still, they’re not official implementations and caused either bugs or balancing issues.
Now that Larian will officially introduce them, weaving them into all aspects of gameplay is more seamless. This feels like it requires some significant amount of work, which is more than praiseworthy on their part. It’s even more amazing when you consider that this is a free upgrade to existing Baldur’s Gate 3 owners. Many players expected it to be a paid DLC or expansion.
This is the Win RPGs Needed Lately
It’s no secret that many old RPG gamers especially back from the old BioWare-dominated era were disappointed with how the current BioWare handled Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Barring any of its other issues, it was barely an RPG anymore, with limited choices for classes or playstyles.
You would think that traditional CRPGs would’ve entered a second Renaissance after Baldur’s Gate 3‘s success back in 2023. Well, that’s not what happened. Most RPGs in 2024 were dominated by Action RPGs (ARPGs) such as Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Even Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth shifted to that side.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard no doubt tried to balance the scales. It wanted to appeal to both RPG and ARPG fans or old audiences and a younger audience. The result was it didn’t do well in either aspect. Even BioWare seemingly abandoned Dragon Age: The Veilguard as soon as it was released. It won’t have DLCs or expansions.
Baldur’s Gate 3 re-focusing on its strengths with its update and enhancing its traditional RPG experience once again is a testament to how sticking to your passion in the gaming industry results in that genre-defining success that AAA studios have always been craving.
So while Dragon Age: The Veilguard might not have been the return to form we expected, you can always count on Larian and Baldur’s Gate 3 for a genuine return to form for RPGs.
