Larian Won't Develop Baldur's Gate 4 Because Of The "Constraints" Of D&D Combat

During last week's Game Developer Conference, Larian Studios head Swen Vincke confirmed the team has no plans for Baldur's Gate 3 DLC or a fourth game. A lot of fans were left wondering why, but he since explained that it's because they want to branch out and try new things that aren't possible with Dungeons & Dragons 5e.
"There were a lot of constraints in making D&D, and the 5th Edition is not an easy system to put into a video game, and we had all these ideas of new combat that we wanted to try out, and so they were not compatible," Vincke told IGN. "You could see the team was doing it because everybody felt like we had to do it."
RelatedIt's Only Fitting Someone Else Handles Baldur's Gate 4
Baldur's Gate didn't start with Larian, and it doesn't have to end with it.
PostsLarian considered developing a sequel at one point, but it didn't want to adapt D&D's systems again, so the plan was scrapped. Vincke also revealed that Baldur's Gate 3 DLC was in development, but it was cancelled because it "wasn't really coming from the heart". So, with a sequel and further expansions put to bed, the studio is moving onto new things. What those new things are, we don't know yet.
After Larian announced that it was parting ways with Wizards of the Coast and moving on from Baldur's Gate, speculation ran rampant as many began to blame the Dungeons & Dragons IP holder. However, Vincke clarified in a follow-up tweet that "WOTC is not to blame for [Larian] taking a different direction."
As Vincke revealed in the IGN interview, it's due to the restrictions of 5e combat and wanting to branch out and experiment more. Granted, it won't be the first time Larian has built its own rules - the Divinity series did the same. So, if you want a taste of what to expect, Original Sin is the place to go (if you liked Baldur's Gate 3, you should play them anyway).
Your Rating
close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10Your comment has not been saved
Like Follow FollowedBaldur's Gate 3
RPG Systems 5.0/5 25 9.4/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 98% Released August 3, 2023 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Larian Studios Publisher(s) Larian Studios Engine Divinity 4.0WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALBaldur's Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.
Powered by Expand Collapse