Larian Studios promises “next level” turn-based RPG in Divinity, surpassing Baldur’s Gate 3

Larian Studios says Divinity is "going to be way better" compared to Baldur's Gate 3, with "next level" RPG experience

Larian Studios has announced its next game, Divinity, at The Game Awards, signalling a return to the dark fantasy universe that the Belgian developer previously explored.

The announcement follows the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, which sold more than 20 million copies and received multiple Game of the Year awards, according to Larian CEO and founder Swen Vincke.

Speaking to Jason Schreier ahead of the ceremony, Vincke said that Divinity will be a turn-based role-playing game that builds on the studio’s previous work. “This is going to be us unleashed, I think. It’s a turn-based RPG featuring everything you’ve seen from us in the past, but it’s brought to the next level,” Vincke said. He added that the game is not expected to release in 2026 but will follow an early-access model similar to past Larian titles.

Vincke explained that the studio initially considered continuing work with Wizards of the Coast on Dungeons & Dragons, but the team decided to pivot to Divinity, which Larian owns. “Baldur’s Gate 3 was a good game and I’m proud of it, but I think this one is going to be way better,” he said, noting that creating a system specifically for video games makes it easier to understand than Dungeons & Dragons mechanics.

The studio has switched to a new engine to enhance cinematic storytelling and improve content streaming, while also developing multiple quests and storylines in parallel to reduce overall development time. Vincke said he hopes Divinity will take three to four years to develop, compared with the six years required for Baldur’s Gate 3.

Larian currently employs 530 people across seven offices worldwide. Vincke emphasised that all content in Divinity will be created by human developers, though generative AI tools may be used for concept development and placeholder material. He added that the team is exploring new narrative experiments to expand player choices and replayability beyond what was achieved in Baldur’s Gate 3.