D&D General Hasbro Is Looking For Partners For Baldur's Gate 4

Last month, Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larion Studios revealed that it was 'elated' not to be working on further D&D video games, expansions, or DLC.

However, Wizard of the Coast's Eugene Evans says that a sequel is still "very much on the cards". Evans is Senior vice president of Digital Strategy and Licensing for Hasbro and WotC, and was talking in an interview with PC Gamer.

“We’re now talking to lots of partners and being approached by a lot of partners who are embracing the challenge of, what does the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise look like? So we certainly hope that it’s not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur’s Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that. But we’re going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur’s Gate. We take that very, very seriously, as we do with all of our decisions around our portfolio. We don’t rush into decisions as to who to partner with on products or what products we should be considering.”

Fans of the characters, such as Shadowheart and Astarian, created by Larion and introduced in BG3 will be pleased to know that they are now owned by WotC, meaning that it's not impossible that they would show up in any sequels. Evans said "Larian created a much loved cast of characters, who were even celebrated by their nominations, the voice actors behind them and the talent behind them was celebrated at the [BAFTAS]...And they are now essentially part of D&D canon."

 

[MNblockhead]

I prefer my martial attacks fleshy

That works for both an unarmed attack or the target of your attack.

Fleshy unarmed attack:

 

[MichaelSomething]

My heart hopes for SquareEnix...


But my brain fears Ubisoft...

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I also distrust Ubisoft, but not all the videogames should be only in FR but these could help to promote the "brand power" of other settings: Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Mystara, Spelljammer... Not all the D&D videogames should be AAA.

A new videogame shouldn't be a clone of Newerwinter Online. I disadvice online games because there are too much competitors and most of these don't survive a long time.

My suggestion is a retro look, because we need the funniest gameplay, not the best graphics.

Not all D&D games should be only hack and slack or dungeon crawlers, but other genres should be possible, for example a peaceful farm simulation, a date simulation in Stryxhaven (and the main character is a psionic mystic!) or a city-building strategy game in Cerilia(Birthright).

 

[Henadic Theologian]

A new possiblity for who makes BG4 is Fool's Theory, they helped Larian Studios make DOS2 and BG3, they made The Thaumaturge an Turnbased Isometric CRPG set in 1905 Warsaw with dark magic (on my to buy list), and they are working on the Witcher Remake using Unreal Engine 5.

They have experience with the CRPG genre and isometric games, they have their own game engine, they have friends at Larian and CD Project Red, and folks who are leerly of a none Larian studio doing BG4 may at least in part if they already had a hand in BG3, they won't be outsiders.

Fool's Theory Reveals One Common Thread Between its Witcher Remake and The Thaumaturge

 

[humble minion]

Another possibility is Creative Assembly. They have no rpg experience, but they’ve produced well-received games using licenced IP in both the strategy (Total War Warhammer) and stealth/action/fps (whatever Alien Isolation was) genres.

But realistically, anyone starting development of a major D&D game now (not some shovelware mobile game or a reskin of an existing game) will be looking at a delivery date around 2028-30. If WotC wanted to strike while the BG3 iron was hot, they missed their chance. And they won’t have a free choice of studio either, any studio looking at the possibility will have to work out how such a big project fits with their existing pipeline of work, and whether they have the resources to take it on.

 

[mellored]

Honestly? I'd rather BG4 be... not BG4, lol. Give me a 'BG' game set in Eberron or Ravenloft. Hell, give me Spelljammer or the like. Anywhere more interesting than Faerun.

Do planescape torment 2

 

[Charlaquin]

If BioWare hadn’t laid off all their best writers, I’d say maybe give it back to them. But, uh… they did to that, so…

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Another possibility is Creative Assembly. They have no rpg experience, but they’ve produced well-received games using licenced IP in both the strategy (Total War Warhammer) and stealth/action/fps (whatever Alien Isolation was) genres.

But realistically, anyone starting development of a major D&D game now (not some shovelware mobile game or a reskin of an existing game) will be looking at a delivery date around 2028-30. If WotC wanted to strike while the BG3 iron was hot, they missed their chance. And they won’t have a free choice of studio either, any studio looking at the possibility will have to work out how such a big project fits with their existing pipeline of work, and whether they have the resources to take it on.

According to WotC they have multiple partners competing for BG4, so clearly they some studios are majorly interested.

 

[vecna00]

The main thing that I would want, is for whoever is chosen to develop a new BG-style game needs to have the time to cook. Give them the resources and the time to actually make the best game they can.

Unfortunately, that's anathema to a lot of video game publishers these days.

 

[humble minion]

According to WotC they have multiple partners competing for BG4, so clearly they some studios are majorly interested.

I’m sure they do. To what degree these ‘partners’ are credible and/or capable of taking in a project like this, is another question. Every fly-by-night studio in the world would be salivating at the opportunity to churn out some shovelware that piggybacks on Larian’s success and fanbase. WotC will have to be smart and selective about who they work with.