During a two-week span, a mysterious demonic monolith sitting within the Mojave Desert became the gaming world's primary puzzle. Conjecture reached a fever pitch when an industry producer posted an image of the strange statue, hinting it was a teaser for an upcoming game reveal. Gamers everywhere sprang into action to solve the mystery. Might it signal new content for a major series? The next chapter in a beloved series?
Simultaneously, the developers at Larian Studios were happily tracking every wild theory in a private channel. They alone knew the answer: it was a teaser for the new *Divinity* title. Their private discussions became the only place they could discuss it, committed by an unbreakable oath of secrecy. Their resolve to silence was so absolute that they themselves became swept up in the growing hype.
"I remember seeing people guess that it was *Bloodborne 2*," recalled *Divinity's* writing director, "And I thought ‘Oh, I wish it is!’ Then it hit me: ‘No, it definitely is not!’"
The statue provided a classic topic of conversation, but it simultaneously sparked a critical question: "Do you end up disappointing people if you create excitement?" This dilemma is one Larian Studios will grapple with as their next RPG draws nearer. Described as the studio's "largest-scale" title so far, the RPG is going to attract significantly increased eyes in the wake of the massive success of their prior project, the critically adored *Baldur's Gate 3*.
A Homecoming
"I believe the biggest thing is that we have no desire to disappoint fans," stated Larian founder Swen Vincke, when asked about concerns over losing new fans hoping for a direct sequel. "We are confident that the main draw they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the core mechanics. That is our special sauce, and it has its origins in our original IP. The new game is essentially a return to the roots of it."
Larian rolled out a cinematic spectacle to get *Baldur's Gate 3* fans excited for *Divinity*. The game's cinematic trailer flaunted high production value, centering around a nightmarish scene reminiscent of certain cult films. The teaser was packed with graphic imagery, modeled in part on a team member. It was a assured reveal, showing the studio's faith in its next project.
However, a new *Divinity* wasn't always the plan. While the studio planned to revisit its flagship CRPG series in time, they first considered creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project closer in spirit to that world. *Divinity* has only been production for about a couple of years following a dramatic pivot.
"We were working on a new game based in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," explained Vincke. "Our intention was to work gradually on *Divinity* afterward. But we saw that our enthusiasm weren't really in it. We were essentially done with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so jumping into a sequel didn't appeal. So we pivoted away from that project. Pivoting early sped up everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to build from the ground up."
Solidifying the Universe
Returning to *Divinity* after nearly a decade presented a daunting challenge. The team acquired tremendous experience making *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke calls the *Divinity* series at a more "evolved level." Now, he says that the new *Divinity* will be an further evolved version of that game. To achieve this, Larian needed to begin by overhauling the game's universe.
"One of the first things we did was lay the groundwork for a coherent universe, because the *Divinity* lore was previously all over the place," Vincke said. "We had to re-establish it, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. Concurrently, we were building a new engine, so we adapted our plans to use it sooner. The engine shift naturally was not as smoothly as hoped, so we're now wrapping up a complex technical overhaul."
Vincke confirmed that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG that can be played solo or in cooperative multiplayer. It is also a standalone title, even though after the events of previous games. Longtime fans will recognize some familiar characters, but prior knowledge will not be required. The aim is to create a "consistent world where fantastic things happen because of player agency."
Giving Players the Reins
This last point is paramount. When asked what Larian views as the most important aspect to get right in *Divinity*, Vincke offered a succinct answer: agency. Larian's mission is to craft a deeper RPG filled with engaging "interactive systems." This emphasis on player-driven narrative was a key ingredient of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio claims it is enhancing that design principle more aggressively here.
"A central part of our mantra is 'create your own story.' So the freedom we want to grant you is the most ambitious part," Vincke said. "There will be sequences in there that will lead you to exclaim, 'Really? It reacts? But all I did was this simple thing!' We aren't going to tell these connections themselves. When we, during testing saw we could make these choices, it brought me pure delight. It thrilled my inner player, and that's the emotion I want players to have when the game launches."
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 specifically notes that it gained extensive expertise in writing and crafting in-game story moments from that project, which will be a key element of the new game.
Building with Player Feedback
The team also reflected on the difficulties they encountered during the making of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke observes that onboarding could be challenging in that game due to complex class rules. To make *Divinity* more approachable from the outset, Larian aimed to "define our own rulesets so we could make it more intuitively designed."
"One clear instance was reactive mechanics in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke recalled. "At first, we were resistant to include them. Midway through early access, the community really, really wanted them. We were concerned it would slow down the gameplay. Eventually, we put them in and realized, well, it's truly better. They had a point! It was a positive moment because it significantly made the game better."
Based on this experience, Larian's fans will be crucial to *Divinity*'s success. Vincke confirmed that the studio will continue incorporating fan feedback
