Baldur's Gate 3's Steam Revival Fuels Larian's Next Project

Baldur’s Gate 3 has experienced a notable rise in player counts on Steam following the highly anticipated Patch 8, putting developer Larian in a strong position to concentrate on their next major title.

The massive, game-altering Patch 8 rolled out last week, introducing 12 new subclasses to Baldur's Gate 3. This release prompted a surge in players as enthusiasts returned to explore the fresh subclasses and the all-new photo mode.

On Steam, Baldur’s Gate 3 reached a peak concurrent player count of 169,267 over the weekend—an impressive achievement for a single-player RPG in its second year. Sony and Microsoft do not disclose player numbers for PlayStation or Xbox platforms.

Reflecting on Patch 8’s launch, Larian's head Swen Vincke tweeted that he anticipates Baldur’s Gate 3 will "keep performing strongly for quite a while," not only because of the boost from the patch but also due to its "thriving" mod support.

This success, Vincke added, allows Larian "the space to dedicate ourselves to making our next big project as polished as possible." He noted, "We've got big shoes to fill."

"I'm feeling positive today about where Baldur’s Gate 3 stands," Vincke remarked. "Patch 8 brought many players back. It demanded a lot of development resources, but I’m glad we delivered.

"With mod support flourishing, I believe the game will maintain its momentum for a long time. This gives us the freedom to pour our energy into perfecting our next ambitious title—and that focus is exactly what we need. We've got big shoes to fill."

As Larian has indicated, Patch 8 is the last major update for the game, closing a remarkable chapter for the studio. Baldur’s Gate 3 debuted to widespread critical praise and massive commercial success in 2023, and it has maintained robust sales through 2024 and into 2025.

Larian surprised the gaming community by confirming its plan to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons to develop a brand-new game—a project it teased periodically before announcing a media blackout to concentrate on this mysterious new undertaking.

However, D&D owner Hasbro has hinted at plans to continue the series. In an interview with IGN at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, SVP of Digital Games at Hasbro, noted that with Larian stepping away, Hasbro has "many parties showing strong interest in Baldur's Gate."

"We're currently shaping our future plans and deciding how to proceed with the franchise," Ayoub explained. "In fact, very soon we'll have some announcements to share on that front."

Ayoub did not specify whether these plans involve a full-fledged new Baldur's Gate installment or some form of crossover, similar to previous character appearances in Magic: The Gathering. However, he acknowledged that he personally hopes for a Baldur's Gate 4, though developing such a title would likely require considerable time.

"It's somewhat of a challenging position," he admitted. "But we're not rushing. We plan to take a careful, measured approach... We have numerous ideas and different directions we could take. We're beginning to consider our next steps and are ready to start sharing a few things. Soon—and I don't want to overhype it—we'll have more to say about our plans."