Over two weeks, a mysterious otherworldly monolith in the Mojave Desert stood as the video game community's primary puzzle. Conjecture reached a fever pitch when a prominent figure published an image of the curious statue, implying it was a teaser for a significant game announcement. Gamers everywhere raced to decipher the mystery. Might it signal new content for a popular franchise? The next chapter in a beloved series?
Simultaneously, the developers at Larian Studios were amusedly discussing every outlandish theory internally. They alone knew the answer: it was a teaser for the new *Divinity* title. Their private discussions became the exclusive place they could talk about it, sworn by a solemn oath of secrecy. Their dedication to silence was so total that they even were captivated in the speculative frenzy.
"I remember seeing people theorize that it was *Bloodborne 2*," recalled *Divinity's* lead writer, "And I thought ‘Oh, I hope it is!’ Then I remembered: ‘No, it certainly is not!’"
The mysterious monument made for a perfect topic of conversation, but it also raised a important question: "Is it possible to ultimately let down people if you build hype?" This concern is one Larian Studios will confront as their next RPG draws nearer. Touted as the studio's "most ambitious" game yet, the RPG is going to attract a lot more attention after 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 don't want to disappoint fans," commented Larian founder Swen Vincke, when asked about concerns over losing new fans expecting a direct sequel. "Our belief is that the primary reason they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the interactive experience. That is our formula, and it first took shape in the *Divinity* games. This project is essentially going back to the foundation of it."
Larian rolled out the red carpet to get *Baldur's Gate 3* fans interested in *Divinity*. Its reveal trailer demonstrated high production value, centering around a nightmarish scene reminiscent of certain cult films. The teaser was packed with visceral imagery, created in part on a writer. It was a bold reveal, signaling the studio's confidence in its next game.
However, a new *Divinity* was not initially the plan. Although the studio intended to revisit its original CRPG series in time, they first envisioned following up to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project more directly related to that setting. The current project has only been production for about a couple of years following a dramatic change in direction.
"We were working on a new game set in the world of D&D, built on the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," noted Vincke. "We planned to work gradually on *Divinity* afterward. But we realized that our passion weren't really in it. We were essentially done with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so doing another wasn't what we wanted. So we stopped that project. Pivoting early accelerated everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to begin anew."
Building a New Foundation
Returning to *Divinity* since the last main entry presented a considerable challenge. The team learned immense experience crafting *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke describes as the *Divinity* series at a more "evolved level." Now, he claims that the new *Divinity* will be an further evolved version of that game. To achieve this, Larian needed to begin by overhauling the world's foundation.
"One of the first things we did was begin constructing a unified universe, because the *Divinity* lore was previously not fully unified," Vincke elaborated. "It was necessary to re-establish it, a process we learned from our work with D&D. Concurrently, we were building a new engine, so we modified our plans to implement it sooner. The engine shift naturally did not go as smoothly as hoped, so we're now nearing the end of a complex transition period."
Vincke clarified that *Divinity* will be a tactical RPG playable alone or in cooperative 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 prior knowledge is not necessary. The stated goal is to create a "believable world where magical things happen because of player agency."
Giving Players the Reins
This last point is key. When asked what Larian views as the most important thing to nail in *Divinity*, Vincke offered a single-word answer: agency. Larian's mission is to craft a more complex RPG filled with compelling "interactive systems." This commitment to deep simulation was a cornerstone of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio claims it is enhancing that design principle even further here.
"One of our design pillar is 'create your own story.' So the control we want to give you is the boldest part," Vincke explained. "There will be reactions in there that will have you wondering, '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 realized we could connect these choices, it brought me immense satisfaction. It thrilled my gamer heart, and that is the sensation I want players to have when the game comes out."
Beyond the enhanced focus on player agency, the development of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been instrumental to *Divinity*'s design. The studio specifically notes that it learned significant experience in writing and crafting cinematics from that project, which will be a major component of the new game.
Building with Player Feedback
The team also analyzed the difficulties they faced during the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke points out that onboarding could be daunting in that game due to diverse class rules. To make *Divinity* more accessible from the start, Larian set out to "define our own rulesets so we could make it more video game friendly."
"A prime example was reactions in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke said. "Initially, we didn't want to include them. During early access, the community insisted on them. We feared it would slow down the gameplay. Eventually, we implemented them in and discovered, well, it's truly better. They had a point! It was a good moment because it clearly made the game better."
With this in mind, Larian's player base will be pivotal to *Divinity*'s final form. Vincke confirmed that the studio will keep using fan feedback
