Larian Studios announced the new Baldur’s Gate III update adds the Barbarian class, adding new classes and improvised weapons.
The main highlight of Absolute Frenzy is the introduction of the Barbarian class. This savage melee combatant channels their inner Rage as they deal and receive damage, gaining access to a variety of damage and survivability buffs. The Barbarian can be upgraded with one of two subclasses: the Wildheart and the Berserker. The Wildheart can select one of five Bestial Hearts to unlock new combat actions, while the Berserker can turn their Rage into Frenzy to perform new attack actions in combat.
Fittingly enough, the Absolute Frenzy update also adds new melee mechanics and throwable weapons. While you can use more conventional thrown weapons like daggers or axes, the update adds a whole new improvised weapons mechanic. This allows characters to pick up objects in the environment, or even enemies, and wield them as clubs or throw them into other enemies.
You can find a trailer for the new update below.
Alongside the news that the new Baldur’s Gate 3 update adds the Barbarian class is that developer Larian Studios expects the game will remain in early access into 2023. While Baldur’s Gate 3 has been in Early Access for Windows PC and Mac (via GOG and Steam) since October 2020, while the game was revealed nearly three years ago in June 2019.
“Our internal goal post for release is a quality bar rather than a date”, Larian said in the update. “A ton of progress has been made towards that quality bar over the past year in Early Access, but we know many players are waiting for an actual date. That date will come when we’re even closer to meeting our goal, but right now our expectation is that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be released out of Early Access in 2023.”
Our own hands-on preview of the first early access build for Baldur’s Gate III found the game has a lot of promise like other Larian titles, but it definitely felt like an “early access game,” more of a preview of a snippet of what the full game could be. Read our hands-on preview for Baldur’s Gate III here.
