Baldur's Gate 3 Monk class trailer breakdown: Background, subclasses, and more

Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios recently shared a trailer on social media highlighting the brand-new Monk class in the game. The upcoming RPG takes place in the Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) universe, meaning players can freely pick and mold their characters however they want. The Monk is the ideal pick for players wanting something unique compared to standard Western fantasy fare.

Here is everything players need to know about the Monk class in the upcoming title.

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What does Baldur's Gate 3's Monk class specialize in?

The Monk class coming to Baldur's Gate 3 has been a mainstay in Dungeons & Dragons since the first edition. It also made an appearance in Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn. As for Larian Studios' take on it, the developer was inspired by Eastern cultures.

Thanks to their prowess in close-quarters fighting, including martial arts, Monks add a new flavor to the formula. They have three distinct subclasses that are based on monastic traditions in the DnD universe. Players can pick whichever they want to specialize in as they level up, and this can drastically affect their playstyles:

• Way of the Open Hand: The armed-or-unarmed one-man army that can take on multiple foes at once. The pick for players who want to go down the traditional route.
• Way of the Four Elements: Allows access to four elements: Fire, Water, Lightning, and Wind. These can be supplemented with kung fu combat techniques as they act more or less like spells, perhaps not unlike Avatar: The Last Airbender.
• Way of the Shadow: The go-to pick for players who want to roleplay as a ninja. Abilities like Shadow Strike allow teleporting to unsuspecting enemies to deal massive damage.

Complemented by other varied classes in Baldur's Gate 3, players can approach scenarios in any way they desire.

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Is the Monk class playable right now in Baldur's Gate 3?

Besides the Monk, there are different classes to check out in the game as well (Image via Larian Studios)

Baldur's Gate 3 has been in active development for a little over five years now, with an early-access launch in 2020. The game has since undergone many changes, thanks to community feedback, and seems to be shaping along well for the final launch. This also means much of the title is not here yet.

Since the Monk class was revealed recently, it is not available either. As such, players will only be able to try out the class when the game releases next month. The title will have 12 classes at launch, and how players create their characters can shape how they interact with the world.

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Baldur's Gate 3's complete 1.0 launch arrives on PC on August 3, 2023, though players can purchase the game right now to enjoy early access content. The PS5 version will come on September 6, 2023. Unfortunately, current-gen Xbox owners will have to be patient, as Larian Studios is yet to announce a concrete release date for the Xbox Series X|S rendition currently in development.