Baldur's Gate 3 Patch Notes: Every Major Patch Explained

Baldur's Gate 3 received eight major patches and dozens of hotfixes between its August 2023 launch and the final update in April 2025 — and unusually for a live-supported game, every single one was free. The official patch notes live on Larian's news site (baldursgate3.game/news) and Steam, with community mirrors on bg3.wiki. This guide compresses all eight patches into the version of the story you actually need: what each one added, which patch made which famous feature, and where to read the full notes yourself.

Where to Read the Official Patch Notes

• Larian's official news hub — the canonical source; every patch and hotfix gets a full notes post with the "Patch #X Now Live!" format.
• Steam store announcements — Larian mirrors the same notes on the Steam page's announcements.
• bg3.wiki patch pages — community-formatted, easier to search, includes hotfix history and exact version numbers.

The Patch Timeline at a Glance

Beyond these, Larian shipped hotfixes numbered into the 30s — small urgent fixes between the majors (one famous early hotfix fixed the save-game corrupting "Sins of the Father" quest crash). The bg3.wiki patch page tracks every one.

Patch 8 (Final): What Changed

The farewell update — Larian confirmed "Patch 8 will be the last game patch to introduce new content":

• 12 new subclasses, one per class: Hexblade Warlock, Bladesinging Wizard, Swashbuckler Rogue, Arcane Archer Fighter, College of Glamour Bard, Death Domain Cleric, Circle of Stars Druid, Path of the Giant Barbarian, Way of the Drunken Master Monk, Oath of the Crown Paladin, Swarmkeeper Ranger, Shadow Magic Sorcerer.
• Full crossplay — PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox in one lobby via the Larian Network.
• Photo Mode — poses, filters, framing tools.
• Xbox Series S split-screen — the last feature the Series S had been missing since launch.
• Modding toolkit upgrades — partial level editing for community campaign builders.

Per the official Xbox Wire announcement of Patch 8, the update brought "12 New Subclasses" alongside cross-play and photo mode, including the Hexblade Warlock: "You will start the game with a bound weapon, which will curse your targets. Once these enemies are killed, they will rise as Accursed Spectres."

Patch 7: The Mod Manager Era

Patch 7 (September 5, 2024 on PC, October on consoles) was the community-content turning point:

• Official in-game mod manager with curated mods, installable on PC and consoles — a first for a game of this scale.
• New evil-ending cinematics — siding with the Absolute or wiping out your allies now gets proper animated endings instead of a text card.
• Split-screen improvements and a huge list of balance/bug fixes (Steel Watcher tuning, Honour Mode fixes).

Patch 7 is why BG3's mod scene exploded past 100 million downloads — installation became a menu click.

Patch 5: The Epilogue and Honour Mode

Patch 5 (November 30, 2023) was the biggest single content drop after launch:

• The Epilogue — an entirely new post-game section set six months after the final battle, where surviving companions gather for a camp reunion and you get closure on every companion's fate. It fixed the "the game just ends" complaint that dominated launch-week discussion.
• Honour Mode — the single-save permadeath challenge with Legendary Actions and the golden dice reward.
• Custom Mode — full difficulty customization (enemy HP, dice rolls, camp supplies, single save).
• Various quality-of-life additions including kiss sound effects.

The epilogue alone is worth a full replay for anyone who finished the game pre-November 2023.

Patch 6: The "Kiss Patch"

Patch 6 (February 13, 2024) earned its nickname honestly:

• Randomized unique kisses for every romantic partner — each companion now has multiple distinct kiss animations reflecting their personality, from romantic to intense.
• New camp outfits for companions in Act 3.
• Honour Mode improvements and a large list of fixes to boss fights (Cazador, Viconia, Steel Watchers) on higher difficulties.

How to Check Your Game Version

• Steam: right-click Baldur's Gate 3 in your library → Properties → Installed Files, or hover the game's version string in the library grid. The current final build is Patch 8.
• In-game: the main menu bottom corner displays the version number (Patch 8 builds show 4.1.1.x or the 2025-era numbering depending on region).
• Consoles: the store page shows the installed version, and the patch notes post lists the matching console build number.

If you're playing a modded campaign, mods must be updated alongside patches — Patch 8 broke some older mods, which is why the official mod manager now enforces version compatibility. See our new campaign guide for mod management tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I read the official Baldur's Gate 3 patch notes?

Larian's official news hub at baldursgate3.game/news, mirrored on the Steam store announcements. bg3.wiki hosts searchable community copies with hotfix history.

What was in the final Baldur's Gate 3 patch?

Patch 8 (April 15, 2025) added 12 new subclasses, full crossplay, Photo Mode, Xbox Series S split-screen and modding toolkit upgrades. It was the last patch to introduce new content.

Which patch added Honour Mode?

Patch 5 (November 30, 2023), alongside the post-game epilogue and Custom Mode.

Which patch added crossplay and photo mode?

Patch 8 (April 2025) added both — crossplay across PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox, plus the Photo Mode suite.

How do I check which version of Baldur's Gate 3 I have?

The version string appears in the main menu's bottom corner and in your platform library details. The final build is Patch 8 (April 2025); earlier builds show their own patch version numbers.

Related Guides

• Baldur's Gate 3 Guide — the game as it stands after all patches
• Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox — what Patch 8 added for Series S owners
• Baldur's Gate 4: Future Status, WotC Plans & Timeline
• Baldur's Gate 3 Review: The 2026 Verdict on a Masterpiece
• Baldur's Gate 3 Logo: Official Files, Vectors and History

Last updated: August 13, 2026.