With the much-anticipated release of Baldur’s Gate 3 almost upon us, Larian Studios, the Belgian developer celebrated for its popular Divinity: Original Sin series, has given fans something else to look forward to.
Speaking with IGN, Larian Studios’ founder, Swen Vincke, confirmed the studio’s plans to revisit their self-built universe in a few years after wrapping up their work on the Baldur’s Gate sequel and a much-deserved break.
“It’s our own universe we built, so we’re definitely going to get back there at some point,” said Vincke, referring to the Divinity franchise that originated in 2002. “We’ll first finish this one [Baldur’s Gate 3], and then take a break, because we will need to refresh ourselves creatively. You’re seeing 400 developers putting their heart and souls into this. You’re getting the best of them and their craft in this game.”
This pledge to return to Divinity isn’t just a promise to fans, but an homage to the game series that propelled Larian to the spotlight, leading to their selection for Baldur’s Gate 3’s development. Divine Divinity, the original game of the series came out in 2002, and laid the foundation for the unique Larian style. It was the 2014 Divinity: Original Sin, however, and its sequel, Divinity: Original Sin 2 in 2017 that secured Larian Studios a seat in the big league.
In the meantime, Larian is preparing to launch Baldur’s Gate 3, developed under license from Dungeons & Dragons owner Wizards of the Coast, in August for the PC. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a colossal undertaking, boasting over 17,000 different endings and offering up to 100-200 hours of gameplay. This new game represents a massive leap for the studio, but it has handled this with grace, applying its immense creativity in building characters like the ominous Orin the Red, and faithfully recreating the diverse races in D&D lore.
That said, Vincke emphasizes the need for a break post-Baldur’s Gate 3, to replenish the team’s creative wellspring after pouring their collective heart and soul into the RPG. This suggests that while the eventual return to Divinity: Original Sin is definite, it may take a few years before fans hear any news about it.
Naturally, there are concerns about the production level for the next Divinity: Original Sin, especially given the significant backing by Wizards of the Coast for Baldur’s Gate 3. The latter’s appeal, strengthened by the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons, offered a certain degree of security for Larian, prompting them to include elaborate details like fully motion-captured cutscenes.
In contrast, the Divinity: Original Sin series doesn’t seem to enjoy the same widespread appeal, with some Baldur’s Gate 3 enthusiasts expressing their dislike for the game. However, loyal Divinity fans are unperturbed. They remain hopeful and are excitedly looking forward to more of Larian’s unique role-playing goodness that the Divinity: Original Sin games so eloquently offer.
With the impending launch of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the promised return to the beloved Divinity: Original Sin series, fans of the studio have much to look forward to in the coming years. But for now, as Vincke puts it, the focus is on giving Baldur’s Gate 3 the finale it deserves. After all, as the favorite developer of many, the massive creative effort Larian puts in always shows in spades.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to the PlayStation 5 on September 6 after an early release on the PC. Unfortunately, it isn’t going to be available on the Xbox Series S/X anytime soon.
