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

The release of the highly anticipated Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 has led to a significant surge in player numbers on Steam, setting the stage for developer Larian Studios to shift focus to their next major project. This expansive update, which was rolled out last week, introduced 12 new subclasses and a brand new photo mode, drawing players back to the game in droves to explore these additions.

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 now in its second year. While Sony and Microsoft keep PlayStation and Xbox player counts private, the enthusiasm on Steam is palpable.

Reflecting on the impact of Patch 8, Larian's chief, Swen Vincke, took to Twitter to express optimism about the game's future. He credited not only the patch but also the thriving mod support for ensuring Baldur's Gate 3 would "continue to do well for quite some time." This success, Vincke noted, allows Larian the space to concentrate on developing their next significant endeavor, which he acknowledged would have "big shoes to fill."

Vincke's satisfaction with the renewed player engagement following Patch 8 was clear: "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." He further emphasized the role of mod support in sustaining the game's popularity and freeing up resources for future projects.

Patch 8 marks the final major update for Baldur's Gate 3, concluding a period of remarkable achievement for Larian. The game, which launched to critical acclaim and achieved substantial commercial success in 2023, has maintained strong sales into 2024 and 2025. In a surprising move, Larian announced their departure from the Baldur's Gate series and Dungeons & Dragons to focus on a new, undisclosed project, initiating a media blackout to concentrate on this mystery game.

Meanwhile, D&D owner Hasbro has hinted at continuing the Baldur's Gate series. Speaking 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 mentioned that Hasbro is formulating plans for the franchise's future and teased that announcements would be forthcoming. While he did not specify whether these plans involve a new Baldur's Gate game or another form of engagement, such as a crossover with other IPs like Magic: The Gathering, he expressed a desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, albeit acknowledging that its development would be a long-term project.

"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," Ayoub remarked, emphasizing a measured approach to future developments. "We're not in a hurry... 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."