"Baldur's Gate 3 Steam Player Surge Post-Patch 8: Larian Shifts Focus to Next Big Project"

Since the release of Patch 8, *Baldur’s Gate 3* has experienced a major surge in Steam player numbers, marking a significant milestone for the already acclaimed RPG. This latest update, one of the most substantial to date, introduced 12 new subclasses and an exciting photo mode, drawing players back into the world of Faerûn in droves.

Over the weekend, concurrent player numbers on Steam peaked at an impressive 169,267—an extraordinary figure for a single-player title entering its second year. While PlayStation and Xbox player statistics remain private, the Steam data clearly illustrates the game's enduring popularity and expanding reach.

Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke shared his thoughts on the success of Patch 8, expressing confidence that *Baldur’s Gate 3* will continue to thrive—not only due to the renewed player interest but also thanks to the growing modding community. He noted that this success gives the studio valuable creative space to fully commit to their next ambitious project.

"Feeling good today about where we are with BG3," Vincke stated. "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 represents the final major update for *Baldur’s Gate 3*, closing the chapter on what has been a landmark journey for Larian Studios. The game launched in 2023 to widespread critical praise and commercial success, maintaining strong sales through 2024 and into 2025.

Larian has since confirmed plans to move away from the *Dungeons & Dragons* universe entirely to focus on an unannounced original IP, even going so far as instituting a media blackout to ensure full attention on this new venture.

However, Hasbro—the parent company of D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast—has hinted that the *Baldur’s Gate* series may not end here. During a conversation at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, Hasbro’s SVP of digital games, revealed that there is internal excitement around continuing the franchise.

"We're kind of working out our plans for the future and what we're going to be doing with that," Ayoub explained. "And actually, in pretty short order, we're going to have some stuff to talk about around that."

While no concrete details were given on whether this means a direct sequel like *Baldur’s Gate 4* or a potential crossover event similar to previous collaborations with *Magic: The Gathering*, Ayoub made it clear that the team intends to take a thoughtful, long-term approach to any future projects.

"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," he admitted. "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."