Ever since Baldur’s Gate 3 was declared to have ‘ended’ its run (i.e., no more content updates or expansions), many new and old fans of Larian have been wondering the same thing: What’s the next big project in store?
A new Divinity: Original Sin? Or perhaps a completely new IP? While the developers remain tight-lipped on specifics, they did drop some pretty significant hints on what fans can expect in their next project.
Larian Talks About What’s After Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the biggest and most ambitious projects that Larian has taken on since its formation. CEO Swen Vincke and his team had a lot to learn throughout the project, and all of the blood, sweat, and tears they poured into the game certainly paid off.
The game crossed 10 million in sales, and with Vincke confirming no DLC or sequel is happening, many were left wondering what the studio’s next step is. When asked about it in an interview with Game Pressure, Vincke had this to say:
We’ve been going through a roller coaster of emotions and decisions. I don’t think you can ever predict what’s going to happen. Our ambition certainly is to do better.
Vincke loves turn-based strategy, but can’t shy away from a good action game. Seeing as how Larian has been experimenting with combat between releases, the next project could take a completely different turn.
The title of the next project is revealed to be code name Excalibur, and Vincke says nobody knows much beyond that:
If anybody from Larian at this point tells you this is what the game is going to be, they’re lying. They don’t know because we’re trying a whole bunch of things. We have ideas, but we’re an iterative company. So we iterate. We’re trying things. We’re experimenting.
Straight from Vincke’s mouth. There are a lot of concepts and ideas floating around, but it looks like they’re at the stage of trying to lay down something concrete.
The Next Game Could be an Original IP
We have a long wait before the next release, but if Baldur’s Gate 3 is anything to go by, it’s well worth it. Larian is confirmed to be moving away from the Baldur’s Gate series, but what some might not know is that the studio was working on a sequel and a DLC, originally.
The plans were canned, and while the reasons were left vague, people suspect it’s due to friction with Wizards of the Coast (DND owners). In the interview, Vincke stresses about maintaining independence and how Baldur’s Gate was never ‘Larian’s IP’:
…it was always important for us to be able to do our own thing, to maintain the Larian’s independence.
With that in mind, many people hope the studio will return to the Divinity series, or start another IP. What are your hopes for Larian’s next project? Let us know in the comments below!
