Over two weeks, a puzzling sinister monolith sitting within the Mojave Desert stood as the gaming world's biggest mystery. Conjecture intensified dramatically when a prominent figure published a photograph of the strange statue, implying it was a teaser for a significant game announcement. Gamers everywhere sprang into action to decipher the riddle. Could it be new content for a major series? A long-awaited sequel in an iconic saga?
Simultaneously, the team at Larian Studios were happily discussing every wild theory internally. They held the answer: it was a teaser for their upcoming game. Their private discussions served as the sole place they could mention it, bound by a solemn oath of secrecy. Their resolve to silence was so complete that they themselves got caught up in the speculative frenzy.
"I had a moment where seeing people guess that it was a sequel to *Bloodborne*," said *Divinity's* lead writer, "And I was like ‘Oh, I wish it is!’ Then it hit me: ‘No, it certainly is not!’"
This marketing stunt made for a perfect water cooler moment, but it also provoked a pressing question: "Is it possible to end up disappointing people if you generate excitement?" This concern is one Larian Studios is about to address as their next RPG draws nearer. Described as the studio's "most ambitious" title so far, the RPG can expect a lot more attention following the award-winning success of their last project, the Game of the Year-winning *Baldur's Gate 3*.
A Homecoming
"I think the most important factor is that we have no desire to disappoint fans," stated Larian founder Swen Vincke, when asked about concerns over losing new fans expecting a direct sequel. "We think that the main draw they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the core mechanics. That's our proven method, and it has its origins in our original IP. The new game is essentially heading back to the foundation of it."
Larian pulled out a cinematic spectacle to excite *Baldur's Gate 3* fans curious about *Divinity*. Its cinematic trailer demonstrated high production value, featuring a horrific scene reminiscent of certain cult films. The teaser featured visceral imagery, created in part on a writer. It was a assured reveal, signaling the studio's confidence in its next project.
However, a new *Divinity* was not initially the plan. Although the studio intended to revisit its original CRPG series sooner or later, they originally wanted to creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project closer in spirit to that setting. The current project has been in active development for about a couple of years following a significant shift in plans.
"Initially, we were developing a new game set in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," explained Vincke. "We planned to work gradually on *Divinity* subsequently. But we felt that our enthusiasm lay elsewhere. We had finished our journey with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so jumping into a sequel didn't appeal. So we halted that project. Pivoting early accelerated everything for *Divinity*, which left us in a position where we had to start from scratch."
Building a New Foundation
Revisiting *Divinity* after nearly a decade was a considerable challenge. The team acquired immense experience crafting *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke calls the *Divinity* series at a more "refined level." Now, he states that the new *Divinity* will be an still more evolved version of *Baldur's Gate 3* itself. To pull that off, Larian had to begin by re-solidifying the setting's lore.
"One of the first things we did was lay the groundwork for a coherent universe, because the *Divinity* lore was in the past all over the place," Vincke elaborated. "We had to resolidify it, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. At the same time, we were creating a new engine, so we adapted our plans to leverage it sooner. This transition naturally did not go as smoothly as anticipated, so we're now nearing the end of a challenging transition period."
Vincke stated that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG playable alone or in cooperative multiplayer. It is also a self-contained title, even though after the events of the last major entry. Veteran fans will recognize some familiar characters, but prior knowledge will not be necessary. The aim is to create a "consistent world where extraordinary things occur because of your actions."
Giving Players the Reins
This last point is paramount. When questioned what Larian considers the most important thing to perfect in *Divinity*, Vincke gave a single-word answer: agency. Larian's mission is to craft a more complex RPG packed with intricate "video game systems." This focus on 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 'forge your own path.' So the freedom we want to give you is the boldest part," Vincke detailed. "We are implementing systems in there that will lead you to exclaim, 'Really? It keeps going? But all I did was one small action!' We want players to discover these possibilities themselves. When we, during testing realized we could make these elements, it brought me pure delight. It thrilled my gamer heart, and that is the emotion I want you to have when the game releases."
In addition to the expanded focus on player agency, the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been invaluable to *Divinity*'s design. The studio explicitly notes that it gained significant expertise in writing and producing in-game story moments from that project, which will be a major focus of the new game.
A Collaborative Development Philosophy
The team also analyzed the difficulties they encountered during the making of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke observes that onboarding could be daunting in that game due to varied class rules. To make *Divinity* more accessible from the beginning, Larian aimed to "create our own rulesets so we could make it more intuitively designed."
"One clear instance was reactions in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke said. "At first, we were resistant to include them. Midway through early access, the community really, really wanted them. We were concerned it would hinder the gameplay. Eventually, we implemented them in and realized, well, it's truly better. They had a point! It was a great moment because it significantly made the game better."
Given this, Larian's fans will be pivotal to *Divinity*'s final form. Vincke stated that the studio will keep taking into account fan feedback
