During a two-week span, an enigmatic demonic monolith sitting within the Mojave Desert stood as the gaming world's primary puzzle. Theories intensified dramatically when a prominent figure published an image of the peculiar statue, hinting it was a teaser for a significant game reveal. Online communities sprang into action to decipher the mystery. Was it new content for a major series? A long-awaited sequel in a beloved series?
Simultaneously, the developers at Larian Studios found themselves gleefully tracking every outlandish theory among themselves. They held the answer: it was a teaser for their upcoming game. Their private discussions served as the only place they could talk about it, bound by a strict oath of secrecy. Their dedication to silence was so absolute that they themselves got caught up in the public excitement.
"I remember I saw people theorize that it was *Bloodborne 2*," recalled the game's writing director, "And I thought ‘Oh, I wish it is!’ Then it hit me: ‘No, it definitely is not!’"
The mysterious monument made for a classic topic of conversation, but it simultaneously raised a critical question: "Do you ultimately let down people if you build excitement?" This concern is one Larian Studios must now address as *Divinity* draws nearer. Billed as the studio's "most ambitious" title so far, the RPG will have a lot more eyes in the wake of the massive success of their last project, the Game of the Year-winning *Baldur's Gate 3*.
A Homecoming
"I believe the most important factor is that we have no desire to disappoint fans," commented Larian founder Swen Vincke, addressing concerns over losing new fans expecting a direct sequel. "We think that the primary reason they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the gameplay. That's our special sauce, and it first took shape in our original IP. *Divinity* is essentially going back to the foundation of it."
Larian rolled out the red carpet to excite *Baldur's Gate 3* fans interested in *Divinity*. Its announcement trailer demonstrated high production value, featuring a disturbing scene reminiscent of folk horror. The teaser featured visceral imagery, created in part on a writer. It was a bold reveal, demonstrating the studio's belief in its next game.
However, a new *Divinity* was not initially the plan. While the studio aimed to return to its flagship CRPG series in time, they originally considered creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project more familiar to that universe. *Divinity* has only been active development for about a couple of years following a major change in direction.
"We were developing a new game set in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," noted Vincke. "Our intention was to take our time on *Divinity* subsequently. But we realized that our hearts lay elsewhere. We were essentially done with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so jumping into a sequel wasn't what we wanted. So we halted that project. Pivoting early fast-tracked 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 presented a daunting challenge. The team acquired vast experience making *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke describes as the *Divinity* series at a more "advanced level." Now, he claims that the new *Divinity* will be an further evolved version of *Baldur's Gate 3* itself. To pull that off, Larian had to begin by reworking the world's foundation.
"One of the first things we did was start to build a unified universe, because the *Divinity* lore was in the past all over the place," Vincke explained. "We had to resolidify it, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. Concurrently, we were building a new engine, so we adjusted our plans to leverage it sooner. That process obviously was not as smoothly as anticipated, so we're now nearing the end of a complicated transition period."
Vincke clarified that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG playable solo or in cooperative multiplayer. It is also a self-contained title, even though after the events of previous games. Longtime fans will spot some familiar characters, but experience with the older games is not necessary. The aim is to create a "consistent world where magical things happen because of player agency."
The Core Pillar: Player Agency
This last point is crucial. When asked what Larian considers the most important thing to nail in *Divinity*, Vincke offered a single-word answer: agency. Larian's goal is to craft a richer RPG featuring intricate "interactive systems." This commitment to deep simulation was a cornerstone of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio states it is enhancing that philosophy even further here.
"One of our philosophy is 'write your own legend.' So the agency we want to provide you is the boldest part," Vincke detailed. "We are implementing systems in there that will make you say, 'Really? It reacts? But all I did was one small action!' We want players to discover these connections themselves. When we, during testing saw we could link these systems, it gave me great joy. It excited my inner player, and that is the emotion I want you to experience when the game launches."
Beyond the expanded focus on player agency, the production of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been crucial to *Divinity*'s evolution. The studio specifically points out that it gained valuable expertise in narrative design and producing cinematics from that project, which will be a major element of the new game.
Building with Player Feedback
The team also analyzed the challenges they faced during the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke notes that introducing new players could be challenging in that game due to varied class rules. To make *Divinity* more approachable from the outset, Larian decided to "establish our own game systems so we could make it more streamlined for play."
"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 strongly requested them. We were concerned it would hinder the gameplay. So 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."
With this in mind, Larian's fans will be instrumental to *Divinity*'s final form. Vincke confirmed that the studio will continue incorporating fan feedback
