The Developers at Larian Is Well Aware That Their New Game Trailer Was Edgy — And That's the Point.

Over two weeks, a puzzling otherworldly monolith in the Mojave Desert became the gaming world's primary puzzle. Conjecture reached a fever pitch when a prominent figure posted a photograph of the peculiar statue, making it clear it was a teaser for a significant game announcement. Gamers everywhere sprang into action to crack the mystery. Was it new content for a major series? The next chapter in a beloved series?

Meanwhile, the creative minds at Larian Studios were amusedly tracking every far-fetched theory in a private channel. They held the answer: it was a teaser for the new *Divinity* title. That forum served as the only place they could talk about it, committed by a solemn oath of secrecy. Their commitment to silence was so total that they themselves were captivated in the public excitement.

"I had a moment where I saw people guess that it was a sequel to *Bloodborne*," explained *Divinity's* lead writer, "And I thought ‘Oh, I hope it is!’ Then it hit me: ‘No, it certainly is not!’"

The statue provided a perfect water cooler moment, but it also provoked a important question: "Do you ultimately let down people if you create hype?" This concern is one Larian Studios is about to grapple with as their next RPG continues development. Billed as the studio's "most ambitious" title so far, the RPG will have a lot more scrutiny following the award-winning success of their last project, the critically adored *Baldur's Gate 3*.

Returning to Roots

"I think the key point is that we have no desire to disappoint fans," stated Larian founder Swen Vincke, addressing concerns over losing new fans hoping for a direct sequel. "We think that the primary reason they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the core mechanics. That is our special sauce, and it was originated in the *Divinity* series. The new game is essentially going back to the origins of it."

Larian pulled out all the stops to get *Baldur's Gate 3* fans interested in *Divinity*. The game's announcement trailer flaunted high production value, featuring a horrific scene reminiscent of folk horror. The teaser included visceral imagery, modeled in part on a developer. It was a assured reveal, showing the studio's faith in its next project.

However, a new *Divinity* was not initially the plan. Although the studio intended to revisit its flagship CRPG series sooner or later, they first wanted to creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project closer in spirit to that setting. *Divinity* has been in active development for about two years following a significant shift in plans.

"We were developing a new game based in the world of D&D, built on the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," explained Vincke. "We planned to work gradually on *Divinity* subsequently. But we felt that our passion weren't fully committed. We were essentially done with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so jumping into a sequel wasn't what we wanted. So we pivoted away from that project. That decision sped up everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to start from scratch."

Forging a Coherent World

Returning to *Divinity* after nearly a decade posed a considerable challenge. The team acquired tremendous experience developing *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke calls the *Divinity* series at a more "advanced level." Now, he says that the new *Divinity* will be an further evolved version of its predecessor. To accomplish that, Larian needed to begin by re-solidifying the world's foundation.

"Among the first things we did was start to build a unified universe, because the *Divinity* lore was previously somewhat scattered," Vincke said. "We had to give it a firm base, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. Concurrently, we were developing a new engine, so we modified our plans to leverage it sooner. The engine shift naturally did not go as smoothly as hoped, so we're now concluding a complicated technical overhaul."

Vincke clarified that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG playable solo or in co-op multiplayer. It is also a standalone title, despite being set after the events of the last major entry. Veteran fans will spot some familiar characters, but experience with the older games will not be essential. The objective is to create a "consistent world where magical things occur because of the choices you make."

Giving Players the Reins

That final concept is crucial. When asked what Larian views as the most important thing to perfect in *Divinity*, Vincke offered a single-word answer: agency. Larian's vision is to craft a richer RPG packed with engaging "video game systems." This commitment to meaningful choice was a key ingredient of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio claims it is expanding that design principle even further here.

"A central part of our philosophy is 'forge your own path.' So the control we want to give you is the riskiest part," Vincke said. "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 moments themselves. When I, as a developer realized we could make these systems, it brought me immense satisfaction. It excited my gamer heart, and that's the sensation I want you to have when the game launches."

In addition to the deepened focus on player agency, the production of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been invaluable to *Divinity*'s progress. The studio specifically points out that it learned significant knowledge in narrative design and creating cutscenes from that project, which will be a central element of the new game.

Building with Player Feedback

The team also analyzed the struggles they faced during the development of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke notes that introducing new players could be tricky in that game due to diverse class rules. To make *Divinity* more user-friendly from the outset, Larian decided to "establish our own game systems so we could make it more video game friendly."

"One clear instance was reactions in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke said. "At first, we were resistant to include them. During early access, the community strongly requested them. We were concerned it would interrupt the gameplay. Eventually, we added them in and realized, well, it's actually better. They had a point! It was a great moment because it significantly made the game better."

Given this, Larian's community will be pivotal to *Divinity*'s success. Vincke stated that the studio will continue using fan feedback