Baldur’s Gate 3 boss says there is no sequel and no DLC – fans are disappointed, but not with Larian

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Baldur’s Gate 3 came as a surprise to many in 2023. But if you were hoping for another D&D role-playing game from Larian, you have to be strong: There won’t be a Baldur’s Gate 4.

What does Larian say? Swen Vincke caused quite a stir last night at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). He used his speaking time for the “Best Narrative” award to address a current crisis in the gaming industry: the increasing mass layoffs.

As if that wasn’t enough, Vincke also announced that there will be no expansion for the role-playing hit Baldur’s Gate 3. There shouldn’t be a sequel either:

Baldur’s Gate 3 will always have a special place in our hearts. We’ll be proud of it forever, but we won’t continue it. We won’t make new expansions that everyone expects. We’re not going to do the Baldur’s Gate 4 that everyone expects of us. We move on. We’re going to move away from D&D and do something new.

Swen Vincke via PC Gamer

Why isn’t Baldur’s Gate 3 being continued? As Vincke explains, Larian is simply not a studio that produces DLCs or expansions. This has already been tried and it has always failed, said the CEO. Instead, we are a “company of big ideas”.

So it remains to be seen what big idea Larian will pursue next. As far as Baldur’s Gate 3 is concerned, there will probably still be updates and patches. What happens beyond that, however, is no longer Larian’s problem: “It’s up to Wizards of the Coast to find someone to carry the torch, since it’s their IP. We did our job […].”

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Fans are disappointed but understanding

How does the community react? She takes the news surprisingly calmly. In a Reddit thread that collected over 1,000 comments in 13 hours, many fans showed understanding for the studio’s decision: After all, D&D is tied to Wizards of the Coast and therefore Hasbro:

  • super_alice_won: “I love BG3 and would like to see more of it, but at the same time I completely understand why a company would want to cut off any relationship with Wizards of the Coast.” (via Reddit)
  • 1stNow: “I see Larian as similar to FromSoftware in that the IP is much less important than the studio. Whatever their next project is, it’s sure to be similar to their ‘Original Sin’ games or BG3.” (via Reddit)
  • CertainDerision_33: “Honestly, it makes sense to them. With BG3 being such a huge success, it means Larian already has a much larger fanbase for future titles and it is much more valuable and important for an independent company to develop their own IP rather than relying on licenses. (via Reddit)
  • FOXHOUND9000: “…so Hasbro screwed up and killed the goose that laid the golden eggs, right?” (via Reddit)

    • What’s interesting is that despite the disappointment, no one seems to blame Larian for the lack of expansions to Baldur’s. Rather, the frustration is directed at Hasbro. The company laid off 1,100 employees shortly before Christmas last year – exactly the approach that Vincke had criticized in his acceptance speech.

    How do you feel about this? Would you have hoped for more Baldur’s Gate 3 or can you understand Larian’s decision? Feel free to write us your opinion in the comments and discuss with other readers on MeinMMO.

    However, Swen Vincke’s statement does not mean that there will be no more games in the D&D universe in the future. Probably inspired not least by the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Hasbro has already hinted at further titles. A co-op game is even already in the works.

    So it’s quite possible that there will be another Baldur’s Gate 4 one day, just not from Larian.

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