Having had a few days to sit with the news that Larian Studios, creators of 2023's breakout RPG, Baldur's Gate 3, has scrapped plans for DLC and will not be developing the inevitable next game in the series, we can't help but feel the move was a deeply-baller one. Going out on the highest possible note, outdoing even BioWare's iconic earlier entries, it's time to move on for Larian, and we'll gladly follow. Parent company Hasbro, however, wasted no time, threatening still-in-shock audiences that more D&D games are on the way: «Watch this space.»
Hasbro Calls Larian an 'Incredible Partner' After Studio Confirms it Won't be Making Baldur's Gate 4
23.03.2024 - 00:35 / ign.com / Swen Vincke / Kat Bailey
Larian Studios is officially finished with Baldur's Gate. Director Swen Vincke revealed the news at GDC, confirming that the studio has scrapped its DLC plans and won't be making Baldur's Gate 4. In a statement sent to IGN, a Hasbro spokesperson responded by calling Larian "an incredible partner," but offered little insight into what's coming next.
"Larian has been an incredible partner, and together we are proud of the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Watch this space for more on some awesome D&D games we are bringing to life through Hasbro’s studios and our network of licensing partners. We have an unbeatable library of toy and game brands and many fantastic partners around the world,” Hasbro's spokesperson said.
Hasbro didn't respond to IGN's question about the future of Baldur's Gate now that Larian is moving on, nor did it say whether Wizards of the Coast plans to hand the license to a new developer. Baldur's Gate 3 has made some $90 million for Hasbro, an impressive sum even as the company has struggled overall, experiencing a revenue decline of 15 percent and operating at a loss of $1.5 billion in 2023.
Last year, Wizards of the Coast confirmed that it had canceled five Dungeons & Dragons games in development with various studios, including an internal project codenamed "Jabberwocky." Starbreeze is currently working on an untitled D&D game codenamed Project Baxter using Unreal Engine 5, which is expected to be out in 2026. Elsewhere, Wizards of the Coast recently revealed its plans for Dungeons & Dragons' 50th anniversary.
For now, work continues apace on Baldur's Gate 3, which is adding additional evil endings among other content. Stay tuned for our full interview with director Swen Vincke on Monday.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
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