Fresh from receiving a number of The Game Awards nominations and off the back of hit game Baldur’s Gate 3, developer Larian Studios has teased its next project.
In a X/Twitter post quoting Larian’s call for The Game Awards votes, boss Swen Vincke said “seeing our little niche RPG make such waves is very motivating”, before going on to talk in vague terms about the studio’s next project.
“I wish I could tell you about our next big game but this is really encouraging us to ensure it pushes many boundaries,” Vincke teased. “I’m very excited about it.”
That’s not much to go on, but Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have already started speculating about what’s next for Larian. Will Baldur’s Gate 3 DLC or even an expansion follow? Given the huge success of the game, it seems like there would be enough interest to justify such a release, despite issues with high-level Dungeons & Dragons spells and powers if the level cap is raised above 12.
But what about the “next big game”? In July, ahead of Baldur’s Gate 3’s explosive launch, Vincke told IGN a sequel to Larian’s own Divinity: Original Sin series is on the cards, although fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
“It's [Divinity: Original Sin] our own universe we built, so we're definitely gonna get back there at some point,” Vincke said. “We will get back there at some point. We'll first finish this one [Baldur's Gate 3] now, and then take a break, because we will need to refresh ourselves creatively also. You’re seeing 400 developers putting their heart and souls into this. You’re getting the best of them and their craft into this game. And so I can tell you, it's quite a thing.”
If Divinity isn’t next, perhaps a brand new game set in a completely different universe? Larian has created fantasy RPGs for some time now. Could it branch out into science fiction? Or a modern day setting? Or maybe even try a new genre? Whatever's next, it'll surely be one of the most-anticipated games ever.
For now, Baldur’s Gate 3 remains one of the hottest games in the world, and is still among the most-played games on Steam. Its long-awaited Xbox version seems imminent. “Xbox fans, and fans of physical media, watch this space for a formal announcement,” Larian teased. “It's going to be a busy week.”
In IGN’s review of Baldur's Gate 3, which returned a 10/10, we said: "With crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur's Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs."
For more, check out IGN’s comprehensive Baldur’s Gate 3 walkthrough.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
