Larian Studios Understands That Their New Game Trailer Was Pushing It — That's Exactly the Intent.

During a two-week span, an enigmatic demonic monolith sitting within the Mojave Desert was the gaming world's greatest enigma. Speculation intensified dramatically when a prominent figure shared a photograph of the peculiar statue, implying it was a teaser for an upcoming game announcement. The internet went into overdrive to decipher the mystery. Might it signal new content for a major series? The next chapter in a beloved series?

Simultaneously, the creative minds at Larian Studios were gleefully discussing every far-fetched theory among themselves. They held the answer: it was a teaser for their next project. This space served as the only place they could discuss it, committed by a strict oath of secrecy. Their resolve to silence was so complete that they themselves became swept up in the speculative frenzy.

"I had a moment where I saw people theorize that it was a sequel to *Bloodborne*," recalled *Divinity's* lead writer, "And I was like ‘Oh, I wish it is!’ And then I realized: ‘No, it definitely is not!’"

This marketing stunt provided a perfect topic of conversation, but it simultaneously raised a important question: "Do you ultimately let down people if you generate hype?" This dilemma is one Larian Studios is about to confront as *Divinity* continues development. Touted as the studio's "most ambitious" game yet, the RPG is going to attract significantly increased attention following the award-winning success of their last project, the Game of the Year-winning *Baldur's Gate 3*.

Going Back to the Source

"I think the most important factor 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 main draw they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the gameplay. That is our formula, and it was originated in our original IP. This project is essentially heading back to the foundation of it."

Larian pulled out the red carpet to excite *Baldur's Gate 3* fans interested in *Divinity*. The game's cinematic trailer showcased stunning animation, centering around a disturbing scene reminiscent of folk horror. The teaser included visceral imagery, designed in part on a team member. It was a bold reveal, showing the studio's faith in its next project.

However, a new *Divinity* was not originally the plan. While the studio intended to revisit its flagship CRPG series in time, they first considered creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project more familiar to that setting. The current project has been in production for about two years following a significant shift in plans.

"Initially, we were developing a new game set in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," said Vincke. "We planned to work gradually on *Divinity* later. But we felt that our hearts weren't really in it. We wrapped up our work with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so jumping into a sequel wasn't what we wanted. So we pivoted away from that project. Pivoting early fast-tracked everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to start from scratch."

Building a New Foundation

Revisiting *Divinity* after nearly a decade posed a significant challenge. The team learned tremendous experience crafting *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke describes as the *Divinity* series at a more "refined level." Now, he states that the new *Divinity* will be an further evolved version of that game. To achieve this, Larian had to begin by reworking the setting's lore.

"One of the first things we did was start to build a consistent universe, because the *Divinity* lore was previously all over the place," Vincke explained. "It was necessary to re-establish it, a process we learned from our work with D&D. Simultaneously, we were building a new engine, so we adapted our plans to implement it sooner. This transition obviously was not as seamlessly as hoped, so we're now concluding a complex technical overhaul."

Vincke confirmed that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG that can be played alone or in co-op multiplayer. It is also a standalone title, even though after the events of previous games. Longtime fans will recognize some returning characters, but prior knowledge will not be necessary. The aim is to create a "believable world where extraordinary things unfold because of your actions."

The Core Pillar: Player Agency

The idea of player impact is crucial. When questioned what Larian views as the most important thing to nail in *Divinity*, Vincke gave a succinct answer: agency. Larian's mission is to craft a deeper RPG packed with intricate "gameplay mechanics." This focus on deep simulation was a cornerstone of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio says it is enhancing that design principle more aggressively here.

"A central part of our design pillar is 'create your own story.' So the agency we want to provide you is the most ambitious part," Vincke said. "We are implementing sequences in there that will lead you to exclaim, 'Really? It continues? But all I did was one small action!' We want players to discover these connections themselves. When we, during testing discovered we could make these elements, it gave me great joy. It thrilled my gamer heart, and that is the feeling I want players to experience when the game releases."

In addition to the expanded focus on player agency, the development of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been crucial to *Divinity*'s progress. The studio explicitly highlights that it learned extensive knowledge in narrative design and producing in-game story moments from that project, which will be a central focus of the new game.

Learning from the Community

The team also reflected on the challenges they faced during the creation 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 approachable from the outset, Larian aimed to "establish our own mechanics so we could make it more streamlined for play."

"A prime example was reactive mechanics in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke said. "Initially, we were resistant to include them. Midway through early access, the community really, really wanted them. We were concerned it would interrupt the gameplay. So we put them in and realized, well, it's truly better. They had a point! It was a great moment because it clearly made the game better."

Based on this experience, Larian's community will be crucial to *Divinity*'s success. Vincke stated that the studio will continue taking into account fan feedback