Larian Studios Shifts Focus to Next Project

Summary

• Larian Studios is now fully focused on developing its next game following the phenomenal success of Baldur's Gate 3.
• While development shifts, limited support for BG3 continues with the upcoming Patch 8, introducing new features.
• Details regarding Larian's next project remain scarce.

Larian Studios, the creator of the critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3, has officially shifted its focus to its next major project. Having largely completed post-launch support for Baldur's Gate 3, the studio is now dedicated to its next endeavor, aiming to surpass the impressive achievements of 2023.

Before the late 2023 release of Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios was already a prominent name in the CRPG genre, having successfully developed the Divinity: Original Sin series. This established reputation and the success of the Divinity games led to Larian being entrusted with the Baldur's Gate license, following in the footsteps of BioWare. Baldur's Gate 3’s massive success, garnering numerous Game of the Year awards and attracting a wide range of players, significantly boosted Larian's profile and generated considerable excitement for their future projects.

In a statement to VideoGamer, Larian confirmed that the team's full attention is now dedicated to its next title. The studio also announced a foreseeable "media blackout" to minimize external distractions during development. While some minor support for Baldur's Gate 3 will continue, including the release of Patch 8 with new features, the studio's primary focus has shifted.

Larian's Next Project: A New Beginning

Currently, information about Larian's next game following Baldur's Gate 3 is extremely limited. In mid-2024, Larian opened a new studio to support the development of two ambitious RPGs; however, the current status of that plan remains unclear. Speculation among gamers ranges from a Divinity: Original Sin 3 to a completely new IP, leveraging the experience gained from Baldur's Gate 3. Concrete details are expected to remain scarce for the foreseeable future.

The future of the Baldur's Gate franchise itself is also uncertain. With Larian moving on, Wizards of the Coast faces the challenge of finding a new developer to continue the series, a task made more demanding by the exceptionally high bar set by Baldur's Gate 3. Encouragingly, several actors from Baldur's Gate 3 have expressed interest in reprising their roles in future installments, regardless of the developer, potentially offering a sense of continuity.