Larian Studios Shelves Baldur's Gate 4 Development

While Larian Studios, the creator of 2023's Game of the Year, Baldur's Gate 3, shifts focus to its future titles, CEO Swen Vincke has shared new insights into the project they chose to leave behind.

Larian Reveals That a Playable Build of a Baldur's Gate 3 Sequel Existed

Planned DLC and a Full Sequel Were Shelved as Larian Exits the Franchise

In a recent PC Gamer interview, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke disclosed that the studio had developed a playable version of a Baldur's Gate 3 follow-up before deciding to pursue other ventures. This build was in a functional state and would have appealed to their fanbase, according to Vincke.

"It was something I think you all would have loved—I'm certain of it, actually," Vincke stated. "We progressed quickly because the production pipeline was still hot. You could already play parts of it. But after playing and evaluating it, the feeling was simply, 'This is okay.'" After years dedicated to a Dungeons & Dragons project, the team was hesitant to commit several more years to the same intellectual property. "We'd likely have to rework it ten more times. Did we really want to spend the next three years on this?"

Despite the promising idea of Baldur's Gate 4, Vincke and his developers were not drawn to the prospect of another multi-year journey on a similar game. The studio felt it was time to pursue and realize their own new, original concepts.

Company Morale Soars Following the Decision

"We need to focus on creating things that genuinely excite us," Vincke emphasized. After internal discussions, the consensus was clear: move forward. Following their triumph at The Game Awards 2023, Larian made the definitive choice to step away from Baldur's Gate, declining to develop a direct sequel to their award-winning title.

"Since making the call to not pursue BG4, I believe our team's morale has never been higher," Vincke reflected. "Honestly, it's hard to fully articulate the sense of liberation we feel. Everyone is incredibly energized because we're innovating and exploring fresh ideas again."

"We'll continue supporting the game with patches for a while, then the whole team will take a well-deserved break before determining our next steps," senior product manager Tom Butler explained at the time. With plans for both a Baldur's Gate 4 and BG3 expansion shelved for these reasons, Larian is now fully committed to its two upcoming, unannounced projects, which Vincke confidently claims will be their best work to date.

Prior to the Baldur’s Gate series, Larian was known for its Divinity franchise, which may see a revival now that the studio has concluded its work with Dungeons & Dragons. Shortly before BG3's launch in August last year, Vincke hinted that a Divinity: Original Sin sequel was "definitely on the horizon," but Baldur's Gate 3 took precedence. While details remain under wraps, Vincke clarified that their next project in that universe won't be Divinity: Original Sin 3, promising it will differ from fan expectations.

In the meantime, Baldur's Gate 3 is scheduled to receive its final major patch in Fall 2024, introducing official modding tools, cross-play functionality, and additional dark endings.