As Larian Studios, creators of the 2023 Game of the Year, Baldur's Gate 3, shift their focus to new endeavors, CEO Swen Vincke has shed light on a project that they've decided to leave behind.

A Follow-Up to BG3 Was Already “Playable” According to Larian

BG3 DLC and BG4 Ultimately Shelved as Larian Moves On from Franchise

In an insightful interview with PC Gamer, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke disclosed that a follow-up to Baldur's Gate 3 was already in development and reached a "playable" stage before the studio opted to pursue new ventures. Vincke expressed confidence that fans would have appreciated the direction they were taking with the sequel, stating, "It's something that you all would have liked, I think. I'm sure, actually. And we actually went pretty fast, because the production machine was still warm. You could already play stuff. But you played it and you looked at it, and, like, you know, this is OK."

Despite the progress, the team felt that after years immersed in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, they were not eager to commit to another lengthy project within the same IP. Vincke pondered, "I mean, we'll probably have to redo it 10 times. And do we really want to do this for the next three years?" The allure of new creative challenges ultimately outweighed the prospect of continuing with Baldur's Gate 4.

Morale Remains High at Larian Studios

Vincke emphasized the importance of pursuing projects that reignite the team's passion, saying, "We should be looking at how we can do stuff that we get excited about." After extensive discussions, the decision to step away from Baldur's Gate 3 and not pursue its sequel was unanimous. Following their triumph at The Game Awards 2023, Larian Studios embraced a new direction, choosing to explore fresh ideas over expanding on their past successes.

Vincke shared the team's sense of liberation and high morale following this choice, stating, "I don't think, as developers, we ever felt better since we took that decision [to not make BG4]. Honestly, you really cannot explain or express it, how liberated we are. So morale is super high, just because we're doing new stuff again."

Senior product manager Tom Butler added at the time, "We'll carry on patching for a while and then we're all going to take a holiday and then we'll figure out what we do next." With both Baldur's Gate 4 and an expansion for Baldur's Gate 3 shelved, Larian is now channeling their energies into two new, undisclosed projects, which Vincke claims will be their most ambitious yet.

Before diving into the Baldur's Gate series, Larian Studios was known for their work on the Divinity series. Now that they've moved away from Dungeons & Dragons, the possibility of returning to Divinity has sparked interest. Prior to BG3's launch in August last year, Vincke hinted at a sequel to Divinity: Original Sin, noting that it was "definitely on the horizon," though the team needed to focus on Baldur's Gate 3 first. While the details of these upcoming projects remain under wraps, Vincke clarified that their next venture in the Divinity series won't be Divinity: Original Sin 3, but something distinct from fan expectations.

Meanwhile, Baldur's Gate 3's final major update is scheduled for fall 2024, promising official mod support, cross-play, and new evil endings.