As Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios announces it will be moving on from both Baldur’s Gate and the Dungeons and Dragons franchise for its next project after BG3, studio founder and CEO Swen Vincke takes to social media to “clear up” any misconceptions that the split was caused by a falling out with DnD publisher Wizards of the Coast. Vincke reaffirms that the decision is purely “what’s best for Larian” and says he was very happy with the relationship between his team and WOTC.
At a GDC panel this week, Vincke revealed that Larian Studios is moving on after Baldur’s Gate 3 to work on something new. While he doesn’t reveal what that is, or whether it’s a return to Larian’s own Divinity series – itself boasting some of the best turn-based RPG games on PC with the Original Sin games – he emphasizes that, other than continuing to support Baldur’s Gate 3 with patches and updates, the team isn’t working on any DLC or expansions, and won’t be handling a potential Baldur’s Gate 4.
The announcement is causing plenty of discussion among the community about why the decision has been taken, despite Vincke’s statement that he was eager to take the lessons learned working on Baldur’s Gate 3 and apply it to creating new characters, and saying of all your BG3 favorites, “I trust that they’ll be treated with respect [by Wizards of the Coast].”
“Reading the Reddit threads, I would like to clear up something,” Vincke writes. “WOTC is not to blame for us taking a different direction. On the contrary, they really did their best and have been a great licensor for us, letting us do our thing.” Once again, he closes by restating, “This is because it’s what’s best for Larian.”
Of course such parting will always be a little bittersweet, but I’m just as excited to see what other adventures the team at Larian Studios will take us on once more removed from the specifics of the Dungeons and Dragons systems. Personally, I’d be very eager to see the team return to make Divinity Original Sin 3, but if it’s of a mind to tackle something completely different, that’s fine with me as well. I’d say the studio has earned that much.
Of a mind to play more BG3 anyway? In that case, we’ve detailed the best Baldur’s Gate 3 builds to help you decide on your next playthrough. Or, if you’re in the mood for something different, we’ve picked out the best games like Baldur’s Gate 3 – and there’s even a big Divinity Original Sin sale on right now as well, if you’d like to see the games that earned Larian its partnership with Wizards of the Coast in the first place.
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