Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 stress test is now live for real

After an awkward false start that saw it rolled out prematurely on PlayStation 5 consoles (and then quickly rolled back), the Baldur's Gate 3 patch 8 stress test is now officially live on all platforms.

Announced in December 2024, the new patch is a real whopper. Highlights include the addition of a photo mode, crossplay, split-screen co-op play on Xbox Series X consoles, and the big one, 12 new subclasses that collectively represent "a powergamer's paradise," as PC Gamer's resident Baldur's Gate 3 maestro Harvey Randall put it. The patch unintentionally dropped yesterday for the PS5, which left poor Harvey in a bit of a state, but it also gave him a chance to dive into some build theorycrafting, providing a bit of a head start on today's official launch. (He's very excited about blade cantrips.)

Anyone who's registered to take part in the Patch 8 stress test should receive an email from Larian with an access code and instructions on how to access the test, while Xbox players will have to sign up through the Xbox Insiders program. If you're in the test and your crossplay pals are not, you can link your game account with your Larian account at larian.com and request extra keys for Steam and PC to share with your friends.

Larian recommends that console players serve as the host for PC-console crossplay, and warns that if you're hosting a crossplay lobby on PC you'll need to ensure you have fewer than 100 mods installed, and that all installed mods are also available for console and Mac—otherwise, console and Mac players won't be able to join your session.

Patch 8 is still a work in progress, and thus there are some known issues. Larian says it hopes most support mods will "remain mostly unscathed" with the patch, but there's always a risk of things going sideways: One of the purposes of the stress test, the studio says, is to help developers "understand how your mods interact with the latest patch and identify any issues ahead of release."

The ImpUI mod, for one, may have issues including radical descriptions that aren't visible and menu options that don't work as intended: Larian recommends players using it either create a new save for the stress test, or use an older save that doesn't use ImpUI or any other mods dependent on it.

Other known issues:

Photo Mode

• Photo Mode becomes visually corrupted when using Vulkan.

Cross-Play & Multiplayer

• Some lines in the cross-play settings aren’t fully localised.
• Players in a multiplayer lobby can lose movement input after picking up an item.

UX

• Some keyboard hotkeys and controller buttons may stop working after trading with merchants.

Larian says it will address these issues with updates released throughout the stress test; if you run into any other problems, you're invited to share them through the existing bug reporting form. One other point to note about saves, which was covered in December's community update: Larian "cannot guarantee that save games created during the stress test will remain compatible with the actual patch 8 release." In other words, cross your fingers but don't over-commit.

If you're not in the Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 stress test and want to be, you can still sign up for access at larian.com. The patch notes as they currently stand are below.

Gameplay

• When you succeed a Perception check, the spotted item will now ping on the minimap and be listed in the combat log.
• Fixed an issue where the special abilities of some of your allies weren't properly provided at the end of the dialogue with them at High Hall. 
• Scrolls and potions inside unlocked containers in your party inventory can now be used when rolling in dialogues.
• Neutral and friendly NPCs will no longer become hostile when, outside of combat, they walk into surfaces created during combat that trigger passives (like electrified surfaces triggering Thunderbolt Strike). Take it easy, lads.
• Fixed Freecast being reset when any condition is applied.
• Fixed characters getting stuck when pathfinding via a ladder that's already in use by another companion.
• Fixed a bug with the moving platform in the Gauntlet of Shar that would sometimes leave you behind, causing you to plummet to your death.

Combat

• Fixed an issue causing neutral NPCs to trigger combat for seemingly no reason.
• Cerys will stop getting involved in combats with Minthara from across the region. An eager beaver no longer.

Modding

• Fixed an issue causing you to get stuck at a 0% loading screen when attempting to join a multiplayer session that uses mods.
• The Mod Verification window will now trigger regardless of where the request to connect to a multiplayer game is coming from.
• Replaced the third-party mod warning with clearer messaging.

Performance and Options

• Fixed the ruleset selector not appearing on the 'Alter Custom Mode' screen when accessing the ruleset settings via the multiplayer lobby.
• Improved server performance in the Adamantine Forge.

Scripting and Flow

• Fixed an issue where you could tell Astarion that Gandrel has been looking for him even if Gandrel refused to tell you the name of his prey.
• Fixed a savegame issue where you wouldn't get the appropriate amount of Umbral Gems for the Gauntlet of Shar.
• Minthara now comments on the Emperor's reveal.
• Reminded Minthara that 'knocked out' does not mean 'dead', so she'll more reliably appear in Moonrise Towers.
• You can no longer teleport out of Moonrise while controlling Minthara unless you tell her to stay put.
• Minthara is now willing to talk to you after you tell her to wait in the torture chamber.
• Minthara no longer gets stuck babysitting Thaniel in Act II.
• Fixed an issue where you could talk about Art Cullagh as though he's alive even if he isn't.
• Your character will no longer think Shadowheart is dead if she isn't when talking to Viconia.
• Characters who were in a relationship with Gale when he sacrifices himself in the endgame to defeat the Netherbrain will now receive a tonally appropriate (read: lovey-dovey) letter.
• Fixed a dialogue issue preventing Avatar Gale from talking about the orb to Lae'zel after consuming a magic item.

UI

• Discovered and available (non-hostile, alive, etc.) traders are now shown on the world map regardless of how far away you are from them.

Cinematics

• Shadowheart has agreed to stop repeatedly changing her hair colour during certain intimate moments.
• Tidied up and improved some cinematic animations for characters of different heights if you kiss during the evil ending.

Writing

• Fixed a duplicated dialogue option and the wrong version of another dialogue option appearing in Minthara's main party dialogue.