Following a little bit of a false begin yesterday, Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8 stress take a look at is now formally underway on Xbox Sequence X/S, PS5, and PC, giving choose contributors the chance to discover a spread of latest options forward of its full launch – with split-screen co-op help for Xbox Sequence S being the shock (and long-awaited) inclusion.
Developer Larian detailed Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8 again in November, promising 12 new sub-classes, cross-play, new digital camera options, and extra. On the time, it revealed it might holding a closed stress take a look at forward of a full launch – with a view to assist it “catch issues earlier than they will develop into a problem” – with registrations having been open since then.
And now, the primary wave of invitations has gone out to profitable candidates, and Patch 8’s stress take a look at is stay. Larian covers some key particulars regarding the discharge in an accompanying weblog publish, offering notes on the usage of mods throughout cross-play, in addition to directions on requesting further keys for contributors wishing to discover cross-play with buddies not but within the take a look at.
The massive shock, although, is affirmation that Patch 8 can even lastly introduce split-screen co-op to Xbox Sequence S after an especially lengthy wait. The characteristic has confirmed to be a little bit of a headache for Larian, and was initially blamed for Baldur’s Gate 3’s delayed launch on Xbox again in 2023, because the studio struggled to optimise it sufficiently for Microsoft’s lower-spec console. Ultimately, Sequence S split-screen was dropped utterly and wasn’t included when the sport lastly launched for Xbox Sequence X/S in December 2023.
And it appeared like that was that. However now – greater than 12 months later – Larian has confirmed the characteristic has made the lower for Patch 8, that means it is simply squeaked into Baldur’s Gate 3’s final content material replace. There’s not way more to report on its inclusion, nonetheless, with Larian merely noting stress take a look at contributors on Xbox can strive it out early beginning at present.
Larian hasn’t but stated how lengthy it expects the stress take a look at to final earlier than Patch 8’s full launch, however Baldur’s Gate 3 gamers wanting to become involved can nonetheless register their curiosity on its web site.
