"Larian Abandons Playable Baldur's Gate 4"

As Larian Studios, the creators of the acclaimed 2023 Game of the Year, Baldur's Gate 3, prepare to embark on new ventures, CEO Swen Vincke has shared intriguing insights into the project 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 a recent discussion with PC Gamer, Swen Vincke disclosed that Larian Studios had been developing a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3, which had reached a playable stage. Vincke expressed confidence that fans would have appreciated the direction they were taking. "It's something that you all would have liked, I think," he stated. "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 promising start, Vincke revealed the team's hesitance to commit further years to the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. "I mean, we'll probably have to redo it 10 times. And do we really want to do this for the next three years?" he pondered. The allure of pursuing original concepts ultimately swayed the studio's decision, prompting them to move away from the Baldur's Gate series.

Morale Remains High at Larian Studios

Vincke emphasized the importance of pursuing projects that ignite their passion. "We should be looking at how we can do stuff that we get excited about," he remarked. Following extensive discussions, the team agreed to shift focus. After their triumph at The Game Awards 2023, Larian Studios chose to forge a new path, declining to develop a sequel to the year's standout title.

"I don't think, as developers, we ever felt better since we took that decision [to not make BG4]," Vincke shared. "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 echoed this sentiment, mentioning that the team would continue to support Baldur's Gate 3 with patches before taking a well-deserved break. "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," Butler noted. With both Baldur's Gate 4 and an expansion to Baldur's Gate 3 set aside, Larian is now channeling their energies into two upcoming, yet-to-be-revealed projects, which Vincke promises will be their most ambitious endeavors to date.

Prior to their work on the Baldur’s Gate series, Larian Studios crafted the Divinity series, hinting at a possible return to this universe now that they've stepped away from Dungeons & Dragons. Before Baldur's Gate 3 hit the shelves in August of the previous year, Vincke had mentioned that a sequel to Divinity: Original Sin was "definitely on the horizon," though it was contingent on completing Baldur's Gate 3 first. While details about these new projects remain under wraps, Vincke clarified that their next venture in the Divinity series won't be Divinity: Original Sin 3, promising something distinct from fan expectations.

Meanwhile, Baldur's Gate 3's final major update is slated for a fall 2024 release, featuring official mod support, cross-play functionality, and new evil endings.