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Summary
- Larian Studios deciding not to produce DLC or a sequel for
Baldur’s Gate 3
isn’t a huge surprise. - Hasbro layoffs led to many key collaborators’ departure, potentially affecting Larian’s decision.
- Larian is interested in making other projects rather than sticking to a successful IP.
The news that Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t be getting DLC or a sequel from developer Larian Studios came as a big disappointment to many fans, but when looking at all the facts, it isn’t that much of a surprise. This update was delivered at a GDC 2024 panel hosted by Larian, where CEO Swen Vincke clarified that the studio is leaving the Dungeons & Dragons license behind to turn its work in other directions. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s hard to imagine any other studio following up Baldur’s Gate 3 with something of equal ambition and quality.
There’s obviously plenty that might have indicated that Larian would continue to work on the property, most notably in the smash success that the game saw after releasing out of early access. Classically styled computer RPGs, while still popular, have mostly been something with reasonably niche appeal, so capitalizing on that meteoric rise with more Baldur’s Gate would make sense. Larian also hasn’t shied away from continuing to invest in Baldur’s Gate 3, with a wide array of significant updates that have added a lot of features and fixed even more problems.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Director Just Revealed The Real Reason There’s No DLC
Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke clarifies why Larian Studios’ massive role-playing game won’t grow any bigger through DLC or expansions.
Layoffs At Hasbro Were A Bad Sign For Baldur’s Gate 4
Many Of Larian’s Original Collaborators Are No Longer At Hasbro
Larian Studios has consistently spoken of a positive relationship with Hasbro and its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of DnD, but many of the people who helped establish that relationship are no longer employed by the company. As reported by Polygon, Vincke expressed his condolences to DnD staff who were let go by Hasbro in 2023, saying on X (formerly Twitter) that “there’s almost nobody left” among the group involved in initial talks. It’s a sad contrast to how popular DnD is as it heads into its 50th anniversary and an updated version of fifth edition, which has been a huge success overall.
There’s a danger in positioning all the blame on Wizards of the Coast, as Vincke has also clarified in a tweet that the publisher isn’t responsible for Larian’s decision to step away from Baldur’s Gate. Even if it’s not a choice made out of hostile relations, however, it does stand to reason that the studio would be less eager to go back to work with most of its original collaborators gone. The Hasbro layoffs represent a kind of volatility that Larian isn’t likely to be especially comfortable with, especially considering the significant time and resources needed to make these games.
Larian has also made it clear in the past that the studio takes issue with the larger scope of recent layoffs in the gaming industry, addressing the topic in a Game of the Year acceptance speech at the DICE awards. Prioritizing employees and consumers over shareholders is a big deal for the company, which has no investors that have voting shares. These priorities apparently aren’t the same at Hasbro, and focusing on original IPs where there’s no threat of outside demands might ultimately be more appealing and in line with Larian’s values.
Larian Has Never Committed To A Baldur’s Gate 3 Sequel
There’s A Reason A Follow-Up Wasn’t Promised
Going back further, Larian has also been consistently careful about not committing to Baldur’s Gate 3 DLC or Baldur’s Gate 4. DLC has never been a focus for the studio, and despite the success of both Divinity: Original Sin games, neither received any outside of Definitive Editions and out-of-game bonuses. Moving onto new stories seems to be a general prerogative for the company, exemplified by the fact that Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are both indirect sequels rather than games that pick back up with the same central characters.
There are also some basic challenges when it comes to continuing the story of Baldur’s Gate 3, not the least of which is the fact that it’s a very complete narrative on its own. Taking characters past the Baldur’s Gate 3 maximum of level 12 also runs into the challenges of converting higher-level DnD play to a video game. Advanced spellcasting tends to open up a lot of rabbit holes, and implementing them would likely require heavy modifications that focused on combat power over open-ended possibilities.
Larian Is Interested In Making More Than Baldur’s Gate
Swen Vincke Wants To Explore Other Projects
Vincke has expressed a desire to try out some other projects in the past, as mentioned in an August 2023 interview with Bloomberg. Baldur’s Gate 3 took six years to make, and it’s easy to imagine that employees of the studio could be burnt out on working with the property. In an interview with IGN, Vincke revealed that work had begun on Baldur’s Gate 3 DLC, but the internal attitude at the studio felt like the project “wasn’t really coming from the heart.”
D&D’s AI Talk Proves It Didn’t Learn From The OGL Debacle Last Year
Dungeons & Dragons needs a loyal community now more than ever, but recent comments about D&D and AI from the CEO of Hasbro are concerning.
Larian initially worked on Baldur’s Gate 3 out of a passion for the franchise, and with that excitement fulfilled, it’s not that surprising that the studio would rather look elsewhere for future ventures. Baldur’s Gate 3 is as great as it is because it’s obviously a labor of love, and turning it into something of an obligation would risk it losing that ability to feel like something special. In an IP-driven market where the value of a license is often prioritized over creativity, choosing not to leverage a powerful brand shows that Larian doesn’t uphold profit as the ultimate decision-maker.
At the end of the day, the lack of a path forward for Baldur’s Gate at Larian Studios isn’t a bad thing, no matter how frustrating it might be for fans of Baldur’s Gate 3. The odds are that Larian will continue to deliver excellent experiences, and making sure that everyone in the studio is genuinely excited about whatever its next project turns out to be is a critical step in making that happen. It’s not a shock that Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t getting a sequel, and all things considered, it might just be for the best.
Sources: Polygon, Swen Vincke/X (1, 2), Bloomberg, IGN
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
- Released
- August 31, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- ESRB
- M
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