It’s been a year and some change since “Baldur’s Gate 3” released, and despite it being a single player RPG from a smaller game studio, it continues to get consistently major updates that add a breath of fresh air to the game.

This isn’t a rare occurrence of course, there are quite a few games that do this as well. However they aren’t as common as the games that add battlepasses and seasons. Take “Call of Duty” and “Halo: Infinite”, both of which have microtransactions and seasons throughout their games.

It’s especially disappointing when the only other Halo entry to have a seasonal model, “The Master Chief Collection”, had zero microtransactions and the best implementation of seasons in gaming history. Games like “No Man’s Sky” and “Warframe” implement free updates all the time, giving players more content to play well after the game’s initial release.

Often the claim is that microtransactions are to fund future content, but it’s been proven time and again that this isn’t necessarily true. “No Man’s Sky” and “Baldur’s Gate” are exceptional games that are beloved by players everywhere, and there isn’t a single microtransaction in sight. Yet even now, major updates for both games are still regularly released.

Speaking of major updates, Patch 8 for “Baldur’s Gate” was recently announced with new information being released. The update looks promising with not only the long awaited photo mode, but the addition of twelve new subclasses for players to try out. As “Baldur’s Gate” is an RPG, these classes all add a unique flavor that will change how you view the game.

One subclass, the Death Domain for cleric, is especially fitting for the numerous situations involving the undead in the game. Then of course there’s the Shadow Magic sorcerer, which is a master of manipulating darkness. Act two is all about darkness, so you’ll be right at home!

Of course it would be foolish to not mention the inevitable addition of cross play! To the unfamiliar, that allows console and PC players to play together across platforms, which makes it easier for friends to play together.

Crossplay has been a long awaited add on that many players (myself included) have been clamoring for. Patch 8 is shaping up to be even more exciting than the last one, which added the ever popular and entertaining mod manager to the game. It’s a hard bar to raise, but we’ll see if Patch 8 has the chops to do so.

Then of course, the ever asked for photo mode is coming as well. The playtesters have already started using photo mode for their bug reports, and they are hilarious. Once it comes out, those fashion photoshoots will reign supreme.

The release date is still mostly unknown, but it’s been confirmed for next year at the very least. In the meantime, there’s still plenty to do in the game. If you haven’t played yet, now is a good time to get started. Get your foot in the door before Patch 8 and have a good time.