Despite the fact that many hoped Larian Studios would continue its work on the critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3, whether it was via DLC or a sequel, the developer announced last month that it would be moving on. During a talk at the Game Developers Conference, Larian CEO Swen Vincke confirmed that the team was not only done with Baldur’s Gate, but the entirety of the Dungeons & Dragons brand and setting, which is helmed by Hasbro. Now we know that D&D’s owner is already entertaining a Baldur’s Gate sequel without the team behind its latest hit.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Hasbro’s Eugene Evans stated that a number of teams have come forward to express interest in developing future titles in the series. “We’re now talking to lots of partners and being approached by a lot of partners who are embracing the challenge of, what does the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise look like?” Evans doesn’t exactly answer questions like when we should expect a sequel, or what shape it will take, but does seem to all but assure that the company is aware of the astronomical success of Baldur’s Gate 3 and is keen to try and recapture that more quickly than it did the last time.
“So we certainly hope that it’s not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur’s Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that,” Evans continued. “But we’re going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur’s Gate.”
The next Baldur’s Gate is a tall order for any studio making an attempt at it. The storied franchise, which has had its fair share of spinoffs, has primarily been worked on by two extremely accomplished RPG developers, Bioware and Larian. After a long time out of the limelight, Larian put the franchise back on the map with one of the most ambitious and intricately made games the industry has ever seen, which was no small feat. According to Larian, the game could only really afford to be so complex and large because of the studio’s unique position as a privately owned company, and because the game was developed in Early Access. This allowed Larian to build the fundamentals and react to feedback from fans without bending to meet the demands of unruly publishers that might’ve steered them away from Baldur’s Gate 3’s obviously winning formula. That method worked so well that Larian is likely to repeat it, even if BG3’s success likely means they don’t have to be as hesitant about their next project.
Of course, the next Baldur’s Gate doesn’t have to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors. Now that the series has proven it can be a mainstream hit, Hasbro will likely greenlight development of a title or two, including some spinoffs, while it considers the best studio to make a proper follow-up to such an expansive RPG. But I guess we won’t know exactly what approach Hasbro takes until they start announcing projects. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the last one, so I should probably start budgeting my time now…
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