Baldur's Gate 3 Surges on Steam Post-Patch 8, Larian Eyes Next Big Project

Baldur’s Gate 3 has experienced a remarkable surge in player numbers on Steam following the release of the much-anticipated Patch 8. This boost has positioned developer Larian Studios well as they prepare to shift their focus to their next major project.

Patch 8, which was launched last week, introduced 12 new subclasses to Baldur's Gate 3, along with a brand new photo mode. The update has sparked renewed interest among players, leading to a significant influx of gamers eager to explore these new features. Over the weekend, Baldur’s Gate 3 achieved a concurrent player peak of 169,267 on Steam—an impressive milestone for a single-player focused role-playing game in its second year. It's worth noting that player numbers for PlayStation and Xbox are not publicly disclosed by Sony and Microsoft.

Reflecting on Patch 8's release, Larian's chief, Swen Vincke, took to Twitter to express his optimism about the game's future. He believes that Baldur’s Gate 3 will "continue to do well for quite some time," not only due to the surge in players but also because of the thriving mod support. Vincke emphasized that this success allows Larian to concentrate on developing their next big game, stating, "We’ve got big shoes to fill."

Vincke further shared his satisfaction with the current state of Baldur’s Gate 3, noting, "Patch 8 got a lot of people playing again. It took a lot of development effort but I'm happy we did it." He highlighted the thriving mod support as a key factor in sustaining the game's popularity, which in turn provides Larian with the space to focus on their upcoming project.

Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, signaling the end of a significant chapter for Larian. The game launched to widespread critical acclaim and substantial commercial success in 2023, and has maintained strong sales through 2024 and into 2025.

In a surprising move, Larian announced their intention to move away from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons to work on a new, undisclosed game. This decision followed various teases about the project before Larian instituted a media blackout to concentrate on its development.

Meanwhile, D&D owner Hasbro has hinted at plans to continue the Baldur’s Gate series. In a conversation with IGN at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, revealed that with Larian moving on, "a lot of people [are] very interested in Baldur's Gate." Ayoub indicated that Hasbro is formulating future plans for the franchise, promising more details in the near future. While he did not specify whether this would involve a new full-scale Baldur's Gate game or a crossover akin to previous collaborations with Magic: The Gathering, Ayoub expressed a desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, albeit acknowledging that such a project would take time.

"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," Ayoub remarked. "I mean, we're not in a hurry. Right? That's the thing, we're going to take a very measured approach... We've got a lot of plans, a lot of different ways to go about it. We're starting to think about, okay, yeah, we're ready to start dipping toes a little bit and talking about a few things. And I think, in really short order, like I said, again, not to over-tease that point, we're going to have some other things to talk about around that."