Baldur's Gate fans, new and old, will remember where they were when they first heard that dark horse Larian Studios would not be developing the next game. How could any dev walk away from an achievement like Baldur's Gate 3, a masterpiece which teased a vanishingly rare "10" out of this stingy scribe, one of only two ever given? Sadly, this is the reality in which we live, and IP-holder Wizards of the Coast has already moved on, actively courting other developers, with RPG studios lining up to throw their hats in the ring.
That's according to Eugene Evans (thanks, Eurogamer), senior vice president of digital strategy and licensing for Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro. Evans spoke to PC Gamer following Baldur's Gate 3's history-making BAFTA win, where it became the first game ever to sweep all five major GOTY awards (the others being The Golden Joysticks, TGA, DICE and GDC), explaining that:
"We're now talking to lots of partners and being approached by many partners who are embracing the challenge of what the future of the Baldur's Gate franchise looks like. So we certainly hope it's not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur's Gate 2 to 3 before we answer that. But we're going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur's Gate."
Do you feel an irrational pang of jealousy at the thought of Wizards of the Coasts entertaining new developers? Take it one day at a time in the comments section below.
[source pcgamer.com, via eurogamer.net]
Comments 15
They could try and go to obsidian, but then it may end up xbox exclusive.
They need to stay away from ea/bioware, they have enough trouble trying to keep interest in dragon age.
This seems like dangerous territory for any studio given the sheer success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Didn’t Techland say they wanted to go into the fantasy genre after Dying Light?
This is a poisoned chalice for any developer. They need some kind of small / different genre game to reset expectations before someone else tries a full Baldurs Gate RPG.
@itsfoz Techland have not covered themselves in glory when it comes to writing. There are a handful on studios with the writing chops to make the next one great. I have very little hope for this.
@Shadcai they should avoid Obsidian too. They are not good at delivering issue free games. If Obsidian developed something the scale of BG3 it would be a massive fire that would take months to fix, if at all.
I think CD Projekt started off with an attempt at Baldur’s Gate, which turned into the Witcher. Perhaps it’s time to come full circle and give them a try again. Although they’re probably too busy now with Witcher 4.
Maybe time for a new coop/ splitscreen Dark Allianace game, instead of that online multiplayer trash version that we got?
@Khayl, do we know why Larian and Wizards have parted company? Has there been some sort of tension, or is Larian simply burnt out on Baldur's Gate?
Owlcat would be my choice to take the IP to new heights strategy-wise. Rogue Trader is nowhere near as polished as BG3, but it’s probably close in scope, and strategically it’s on another level. Probably too complex for a lot of people’s taste honestly. Either way Larian and Owlcat have set themselves apart as the 2 very best SRPG devs out there in my book.
Cool.baldur's gate 3 is a masterpiece.word up son
@Niktaw I second this. Currently playing Rogue Trader and it is very good so far. 40k aesthetic has been nailed.
I’m more than glad Larian dropped it, I just want to see them return to the world of Divinity. As for Obsidian, I just want to see them on Pillars 3… come on!
@Th3solution Not just the Witcher 4, but they are also supposed to be working on a new IP and 4 other projects.
@itsfoz lost all interest in that studio after dying light 2. Zero faith they can make that leap and stick the landing.
@Fiendish-Beaver Bud nipped for awards speech maybe?
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