This is Your Sign to Start a New Baldur's Gate 3 Character in 2026

Playing with the same Tav every game may seem counterintuitive to replays. After all, wouldn’t I want to explore other avenues? I have, in a sense. That Tav has made different decisions every time and prioritized other routes. And where that Tav has kept me ignorant in the over 350-ish hours I’ve spent with her (I’ve played for a total of 460+), hours of Let’s Play videos and spoilers have helped me out. Don’t blame my Tav—I’m simply a creature of habit. Familiarity makes me feel warm and fuzzy and safe.
However, 2026 feels different. Not in the stereotypical “I’m going to do Pilates” type of way, but in a “I’m going to go outside of my comfort zone” sense. I’m going to take that gut feeling as a sign to finally move on and make a new Tav. Here are my reasons why you should start a new Baldur’s Gate 3 character in 2026. Because if they can get a person like me to say goodbye to traditional gameplay patterns, they will certainly help you, too.
April 2025 marked a new chapter for Larian Studios’ magnum opus. Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8 was released as the game’s final big update. With the new Patch came quality-of-life improvements that took the 2023 Game of the Year to new, smoother heights, including sought-after features like cross-play and Photo Mode. Most notably, however, it also came with a whole bunch of resources for people like you and me to make a new Tav and Durge to venture forth with.
If you’ve ever felt constricted by Baldur’s Gate 3’s classes and subclasses, Patch 8 will swoop in to save the day. Patch 8 added 12 new subclasses, one for each class. With this addition comes entirely new ways to embody D&D 5e chaos in style. Whether it be for combat efficiency or narrative purposes, these new subclasses are too good to pass up. Here are some of my standout subclasses you should keep an eye on:
Just because Patch 8 was the end of a chapter for Baldur’s Gate doesn’t mean that it was the end of the road for fans. On the contrary, the Baldur’s Gate 3 fandom is alive and well. This means that its mod scene is thriving. Console players get to try out a plethora of mods thanks to the in-game mod manager added in BG3 Patch 7. Meanwhile, PC players are spoiled for options as their craziest modding dreams can become a reality.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s characters shine. Their writing is tight, solid, and every companion’s dilemmas are compelling enough to make them the stars of their own show. Therefore, your “new character” might actually be an old friend.
Playing as an origin character in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an absolute boon. You’ll get access to new dialogue options, new cutscenes, and a special introspection that would have been otherwise inaccessible. There’s also no way to go wrong here: play as your least favorite campmate to get them to talk less, or play as your old camp flame to see them kiss someone else. It’s literally fanfiction, but in motion.
This is more of a note to self. But genuinely, if there is a Tav or Durge you haven’t played as, then you’re likely missing out on something. Every character you create in Baldur’s Gate 3 should approach the world in their own unique ways: their biases, their experiences, and their character morality alignments should influence how you interact with the vast world Larian presented to players. And before simply hitting “randomize” in the character creator, there can be method to your madness:
Baldur’s Gate 3 brings joy to builds that exist for narrative reasons, not spreadsheets. And the character you create can only enhance that experience if you think about them with intention. So, go ahead. 2026 is the year of new characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 for you and me, and Faerun’s our oyster.