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

Following the release of the highly anticipated Patch 8, Baldur's Gate 3 has experienced a significant surge in player numbers on Steam. This update has positioned developer Larian Studios well to shift their focus to their next major project.

Patch 8, which rolled out last week, introduced 12 new subclasses and a new photo mode, sparking renewed interest among players. Over the weekend, Baldur's Gate 3 reached a concurrent player peak of 169,267 on Steam—an impressive achievement for a single-player RPG in its second year. It's worth noting that PlayStation and Xbox player numbers are not publicly disclosed by Sony and Microsoft.

Reflecting on the impact of Patch 8, Larian's CEO Swen Vincke took to Twitter to express his optimism about the game's future. He attributes the continued success not only to the player boost from Patch 8 but also to the thriving mod support. "With mod support thriving, I think the game will now continue to do well for quite some time," Vincke tweeted. This success provides Larian with the opportunity to concentrate on their upcoming project, which Vincke acknowledges will have "big shoes to fill."

Vincke also 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 emphasized the importance of this focus on their next big thing, stating, "We've got big shoes to fill."

Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur's Gate 3, concluding a remarkable period for Larian. The game, launched in 2023, received critical acclaim and achieved significant commercial success, continuing to sell well into 2024 and 2025.

In a surprising move, Larian announced their departure from the Baldur's Gate series and Dungeons & Dragons to work on a new, undisclosed project. The studio has entered a media blackout to concentrate on this mystery game, which they teased previously.

Meanwhile, D&D's parent company, Hasbro, is exploring future plans for the Baldur's Gate franchise. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, revealed that there is considerable interest in the series following Larian's exit. "We're kind of working out our plans for the future and what we're going to be doing with that," Ayoub stated, hinting at forthcoming announcements. He expressed a desire for a Baldur's Gate 4 but acknowledged that such a project would take time. "We're going to take a very measured approach," Ayoub added, indicating that Hasbro is considering various possibilities, including potential crossovers similar to those seen with Magic: The Gathering.