Over two weeks, a puzzling otherworldly monolith in the Mojave Desert stood as the gaming world's primary puzzle. Theories reached a fever pitch when a prominent figure posted a picture of the strange statue, hinting it was a teaser for a significant game announcement. Gamers everywhere went into overdrive to crack the riddle. Was it new content for a popular franchise? The next chapter in a beloved series?
Meanwhile, the developers at Larian Studios were amusedly tracking every far-fetched theory internally. They possessed the answer: it was a teaser for their next project. Their private discussions served as the sole place they could talk about it, sworn by an unbreakable oath of secrecy. Their resolve to silence was so absolute that they themselves became swept up in the public excitement.
"I remember seeing people speculate that it was *Bloodborne 2*," explained the game's writing director, "And I thought ‘Oh, I hope it is!’ And then I realized: ‘No, it definitely is not!’"
The mysterious monument created a classic shared mystery, but it also raised a critical question: "Is it possible to ultimately let down people if you create excitement?" This query is one Larian Studios must now grapple with as their next RPG approaches. Billed as the studio's "largest-scale" game yet, the RPG will have a lot more attention after the massive success of their previous project, the Game of the Year-winning *Baldur's Gate 3*.
Returning to Roots
"I believe the key point is that we aim not to disappoint fans," said Larian founder Swen Vincke, addressing concerns over alienating new fans expecting a direct sequel. "Our belief is that the main draw they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the gameplay. That is our special sauce, and it has its origins in the *Divinity* series. This project is essentially heading back to the origins of it."
Larian unveiled a cinematic spectacle to excite *Baldur's Gate 3* fans curious about *Divinity*. Its announcement trailer flaunted high production value, centering around a disturbing scene reminiscent of folk horror. The teaser was packed with intense imagery, created in part on a developer. It was a confident reveal, showing the studio's belief in its next game.
However, this return to their own series wasn't always the plan. Although the studio planned to return to its original CRPG series eventually, they first wanted to creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project more directly related to that universe. *Divinity* has only been active development for about a couple of years following a significant shift in plans.
"We were working on a new game set in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," said Vincke. "Our intention was to work gradually on *Divinity* later. But we felt that our enthusiasm weren't really in it. We had finished our journey with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so doing another didn't appeal. So we halted that project. This move accelerated everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to start from scratch."
Solidifying the Universe
Revisiting *Divinity* since the last main entry presented a daunting challenge. The team acquired immense experience developing *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke calls the *Divinity* series at a more "refined level." Now, he claims that the new *Divinity* will be an still more evolved version of its predecessor. To accomplish that, Larian had to begin by re-solidifying the setting's lore.
"One of the first things we did was lay the groundwork for a consistent universe, because the *Divinity* lore was previously somewhat scattered," Vincke said. "We had to give it a firm base, a process we learned from our work with D&D. Concurrently, we were creating a new engine, so we modified our plans to use it sooner. This transition naturally did not go as seamlessly as expected, so we're now nearing the end of a complex transition period."
Vincke stated that *Divinity* will be a tactical RPG that can be played solo or in co-op multiplayer. It is also a self-contained title, despite being set after the events of previous games. Veteran fans will spot some returning characters, but experience with the older games is not necessary. The stated goal is to create a "believable world where magical things occur because of player agency."
The Core Pillar: Player Agency
That final concept is key. When questioned what Larian considers the most important thing to get right in *Divinity*, Vincke gave a single-word answer: agency. Larian's mission is to craft a richer RPG filled with engaging "interactive systems." This commitment to deep simulation was a cornerstone of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio states it is expanding that philosophy to new heights here.
"One of our mantra is 'write your own legend.' So the agency we want to provide you is the most ambitious part," Vincke said. "There will be sequences in there that will make you say, 'Really? It reacts? But all I did was this simple thing!' We want players to discover these possibilities themselves. When we, during testing saw we could make these choices, it gave me immense satisfaction. It excited my inner player, and that's the sensation I want you to feel when the game comes out."
In addition to the deepened focus on player agency, the development of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been invaluable to *Divinity*'s evolution. The studio specifically notes that it learned significant knowledge in writing and crafting cutscenes from that project, which will be a key element of the new game.
A Collaborative Development Philosophy
The team also analyzed the struggles they encountered during the making of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke points out that onboarding could be daunting in that game due to complex class rules. To make *Divinity* more user-friendly from the beginning, Larian aimed to "define our own rulesets so we could make it more intuitively designed."
"A prime example was reactive mechanics in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke recalled. "At first, we didn't want to include them. Midway through early access, the community really, really wanted them. We were concerned it would interrupt the gameplay. Eventually, we implemented them in and realized, well, it's actually better. They had a point! It was a great moment because it clearly made the game better."
Based on this experience, Larian's community will be crucial to *Divinity*'s success. Vincke stated that the studio will keep using fan feedback