Baldur’s Gate is one of the most fondly-remembered RPG series in gaming history; a true classic which did much to define the RPG genre following its release in 1998. While a sequel was released in 2000, and a remastered version of the first game was released in 2012, the series has never been continued. Now, Baldur’s Gate 3 has been officially announced. Moreover, the development studio working on it is the studio responsible for the Divinity: Original Sin franchise!
Larian Studios is Developing Baldur’s Gate 3
The original Baldur’s Gate, and its sequel, were the product of BioWare and Black Isle Studios, and published by Interplay Entertainment; the same company which began the Fallout series before selling the rights to Bethesda. (Following the company’s bankruptcy.) However, Baldur’s Gate’s RPG mechanics were derived from the 2nd edition of the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop RPG. As such, the game was actually produced under license from Wizards of the Coast. Now, Wizards of the Coast is continuing the classic franchise for the first time in almost two decades!
Rather than return to Bioware, the company has brought on Larian Studios to develop Baldur’s Gate 3, a move which is likely to be extremely popular among RPG fans. For those who are unaware, Larian Studios was the studio behind Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin 2. While the first received many positive reviews, the sequel received almost universal critical acclaim. Indeed, many reviewers have called it one of the best RPGs ever made. Now, Larian Studios will be lending their talents to reviving Baldur’s Gate.
Of course, the announcement trailer is just a teaser and doesn’t reveal much concrete information about the upcoming game. However, it does make clear that the franchise will be returning to the Forgotten Realms D&D setting. Moreover, it reveals that the game’s villains will be mind flayers; a classic and infamous D&D villainous species derived from Lovecraftian horror. “The teaser trailer shows a return of a malevolent presence to Baldur’s Gate,” says the trailer’s video description; “intent on devouring it from the inside out, corrupting everything that remains in the Forgotten Realms. The fate of the Forgotten Realms lies in your hands.”