For a fortnight, a mysterious otherworldly monolith in the Mojave Desert was the video game community's primary puzzle. Theories intensified dramatically when an industry producer published a picture of the peculiar statue, hinting it was a teaser for a significant game reveal. Gamers everywhere sprang into action to crack the puzzle. Was it new content for a major series? The next chapter in a beloved series?
At the same time, the team at Larian Studios found themselves gleefully sharing every far-fetched theory internally. They possessed the answer: it was a teaser for the new *Divinity* title. This space was the exclusive place they could talk about it, sworn by a strict oath of secrecy. Their dedication to silence was so total that they themselves were captivated in the public excitement.
"I had a moment where seeing people speculate that it was *Bloodborne 2*," explained the game's writing director, "And I thought ‘Oh, I wish it is!’ Then I remembered: ‘No, it certainly is not!’"
This marketing stunt provided a great shared mystery, but it also sparked a important question: "Do you end up disappointing people if you create excitement?" This concern is one Larian Studios must now confront as *Divinity* continues development. Touted as the studio's "biggest and boldest" project to date, the RPG is going to attract far more eyes after the massive success of their prior 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," said Larian founder Swen Vincke, addressing concerns over alienating new fans anticipating a direct sequel. "We are confident that the main draw they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the interactive experience. That's our special sauce, and it has its origins in our original IP. *Divinity* is essentially heading back to the origins of it."
Larian unveiled a cinematic spectacle to enthuse *Baldur's Gate 3* fans interested in *Divinity*. Its announcement trailer demonstrated stunning animation, featuring a nightmarish scene reminiscent of certain cult films. The teaser was packed with intense imagery, created in part on a developer. It was a confident reveal, showing the studio's belief in its next venture.
However, this return to their own series was not initially the plan. While the studio planned to revisit its original CRPG series sooner or later, they first wanted to creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project more directly related to that setting. *Divinity* has only been production for about a couple of years following a major change in direction.
"Initially, we were working on a new game based in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," explained Vincke. "We planned to take our time on *Divinity* later. But we felt that our enthusiasm lay elsewhere. We wrapped up our work with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so doing another didn't appeal. So we stopped that project. Pivoting early fast-tracked everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to begin anew."
Building a New Foundation
Revisiting *Divinity* after nearly a decade posed a significant challenge. The team learned immense experience crafting *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke calls the *Divinity* series at a more "refined level." Now, he claims that the new *Divinity* will be an still more evolved version of *Baldur's Gate 3* itself. To pull that off, Larian needed to begin by reworking the setting's lore.
"Among the first things we did was begin constructing a unified universe, because the *Divinity* lore was in the past not fully unified," Vincke said. "It was necessary to give it a firm base, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. Concurrently, we were building a new engine, so we adjusted our plans to implement it earlier. That process predictably did not go as seamlessly as anticipated, so we're now nearing the end of a complex transition period."
Vincke clarified that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG playable alone or in co-op multiplayer. It is also a self-contained title, even though after the events of the last major entry. Longtime fans will encounter some familiar characters, but prior knowledge will not be necessary. The aim is to create a "believable world where fantastic things unfold because of your actions."
Giving Players the Reins
This last point is paramount. When questioned what Larian views as the most important thing to nail in *Divinity*, Vincke gave a one-word answer: agency. Larian's vision is to craft a richer RPG featuring engaging "interactive systems." This emphasis on deep simulation was a defining feature of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio states it is pushing that philosophy even further here.
"A central part of our design pillar is 'create your own story.' So the freedom we want to grant you is the riskiest part," Vincke said. "There will be sequences in there that will lead you to exclaim, 'Really? It keeps going? But all I did was this simple thing!' We want players to discover these possibilities themselves. When I, as a developer saw we could link these elements, it gave me great joy. It thrilled my gamer heart, and that is the sensation I want you to feel when the game comes out."
Beyond the expanded focus on player agency, the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been instrumental to *Divinity*'s progress. The studio explicitly notes that it gained valuable expertise in writing and crafting in-game story moments from that project, which will be a central focus of the new game.
A Collaborative Development Philosophy
The team also analyzed the challenges they faced during the making of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke points out that introducing new players could be daunting in that game due to diverse class rules. To make *Divinity* more approachable from the start, Larian aimed to "define our own mechanics so we could make it more streamlined for play."
"A prime example was reactive mechanics in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke recalled. "Initially, we were resistant to include them. Midway through early access, the community insisted on them. We worried it would slow down the gameplay. So we added them in and saw, well, it's actually better. They had a point! It was a good moment because it undeniably made the game better."
Given this, Larian's player base will be crucial to *Divinity*'s development. Vincke stated that the studio will continue using fan feedback
