Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a massive success for developer Larian Studios, but the developer recently made the surprising announcement they won’t be following up with Baldur’s Gate 4, or even DLC for BG3. Instead, they’ve vowed to focus on new original IP and projects. That’s a noble, albeit risky, goal, although beyond some musing about likely doing the early access thing again, we haven’t heard much about what this next step for Larian will entail.
Well, today in a new developer update, Larian provided a bit more information about their future. It turns out they’re actually working on two projects, and it sounds like they’re going to be sticking to the kind of immersive, choice-driven RPG experiences they do well.
“As an independent studio since 1996, we value the freedom to follow our creativity wherever it leads. In this case, after six years in the Forgotten Realms and much discussion and rumination, we’ve decided to seize this opportunity to develop our own IPs. We’re currently working on two new projects and we couldn’t be more excited about what the future has in store.
It’s still early days – we’ll tell you more about those later down the line. But know that even as our focus turns to these new games, the sensibilities that brought you Baldur’s Gate 3 are alive and well here at the Larian castle. We’re fueled by the very same fire in our bellies, one that drives us to create immersive experiences shaped by your choices, and we can’t wait for you to join us on this next adventure.”
Larian CEO Swen Vincke went a step further, saying what Larian working on now will be their “best work ever” – a lofty statement considering Baldur’s Gate 3 just swept every possible gaming award.
“I don’t know if we’re going to pull it off, but looking at our narrative, visual and gameplay plans, I think what we’re working on now will be our best work ever. I get excited like a kid watching the key imagery, want to show it to everyone now and grumble in frustration at having to wait until it’s actually all working. Yes, it’s hype but it’s hype because it really looks and feels good.”
What do you think? Can Larian one-up what they achieved with Baldur’s Gate 3? What do you think they might be working on?
