Baldur's Gate 3 Steam Surge Post-Patch 8: Larian Eyes Next Big Project

The release of Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3 has significantly increased player engagement on Steam, setting a strong foundation for developer Larian Studios to shift focus to their next major project. Launched last week, Patch 8 introduced 12 new subclasses and a new photo mode, driving a surge of players eager to explore these additions.

Over the weekend, Baldur’s Gate 3 achieved a concurrent player peak of 169,267 on Steam, a remarkable milestone for a single-player RPG in its second year. While Sony and Microsoft keep PlayStation and Xbox player numbers confidential, the Steam figures alone demonstrate the game's enduring appeal.

Reflecting on Patch 8's impact, Larian's CEO Swen Vincke expressed optimism about the game's future, citing not only the recent player boost but also the thriving modding community. "I expect Baldur’s Gate 3 to continue to do well for quite some time," Vincke tweeted. He emphasized that the game's success provides Larian the space to concentrate on crafting their next ambitious project, acknowledging the high expectations they face.

Vincke further stated, "Feeling good today about where we are with BG3. Patch 8 got a lot of people playing again. It took a lot of development effort but I'm happy we did it. With mod support thriving, I think the game will now continue to do well for quite some time. It gives us room to focus on making our next big thing as good as we can and that focus is more than welcome. We've got big shoes to fill."

Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur’s Gate 3, concluding a period of critical acclaim and commercial success since its 2023 launch. The game has maintained strong sales into 2025. Larian surprised fans by announcing their departure from the Baldur’s Gate series and Dungeons & Dragons to develop a new, undisclosed project, initiating a media blackout to concentrate on this endeavor.

Meanwhile, D&D owner Hasbro has hinted at continuing the Baldur’s Gate series. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Hasbro's SVP of digital games, Dan Ayoub, revealed interest from various parties in the franchise. "We're kind of working out our plans for the future and what we're going to be doing with that," Ayoub said. "And actually, in pretty short order, we're going to have some stuff to talk about around that."

Ayoub did not specify whether these plans involve a new Baldur’s Gate game or a crossover similar to previous collaborations, such as with Magic: The Gathering. He expressed a desire for a Baldur’s Gate 4 but acknowledged the time it would take to develop such a title. "It's somewhat of an unenviable position," he noted. "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."