After the mammoth success of Baldur’s Gate 3, many followers and the trade at massive had been keen to be taught what developer Larian Studios would announce subsequent, and we lastly received that reply at The Game Awards 2025 with the reveal of a model new sport in the Divinity sequence. Divinity is the subsequent huge a turn-based RPG from Larian, and it appears to be simply as sprawling in scope and grotesque in its brutality because the developer’s earlier launch.
Shortly after the reveal, IGN interviewed Swen Vincke, founding father of Larian Studios and sport director of Baldur’s Gate 3. Together with sharing his ideas on that viral tease for Divinity forward of The Game Awards 2025, he additionally spoke in regards to the classes discovered from the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, and why it was necessary for Larian to return to the sequence that constructed the developer.
Be certain to try every little thing introduced at The Game Awards 2025 for extra, in addition to the winners listing in full. And for those who’re questioning what all this Divinity enterprise is about, try our helpful explainer right here.
Editor’s Word: This interview has been edited for readability and readability.
IGN: Firstly, had been you stunned by how rapidly followers type of found out what that mysterious statue was and that it tied in to you all?
Swen Vincke: With the pace with which they found the statue? Effectively, Geoff Keighley tweeted it, so we’re not stunned by the way it turned out after that. I imply, I truly thought we had been gonna make it, that it wasn’t gonna leak till the present. However yeah, paperwork was in opposition to us as a result of it was too quick [and too close to the show]. Usually, it takes extra time for one thing like that to be filed, and right here they filed actually, actually quick.
IGN: After the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, it appeared such as you and the builders had loads of choices for what was subsequent – particularly persevering with with that franchise. Firstly, was the plan to at all times return to the Divinity sequence proper after BG3 was completed?
Swen Vincke: No, we had been engaged on one thing else for Baldur’s Gate initially, and I feel we have talked about that publicly. Ultimately, we had been going to return to the Divinity sequence, however earlier than we did, we had been going to take extra time away from it, after which we modified our minds, actually. Our hearts weren’t into the factor that we had been making earlier than this, so it was an instantaneous resolution to say, ‘Okay, now we have to make Divinity now. So let’s begin doing it.’ However after we did, it took us a short while to set every little thing up as a result of we did not have something prepared. So it was fairly a flip, for certain.
IGN: How far alongside in improvement is Divinity proper now?
Swen Vincke: We have been engaged on it for over two years in improvement. We’re now in full manufacturing.
IGN: It might’t be acknowledged sufficient how massively profitable Baldur’s Gate 3 was for not simply Larain Studios, however for the way it renewed curiosity in the CRPG style, the bigger Dungeons and Dragons franchise, and in addition introduced in new gamers for each of these. What had been some key classes you took away from that, and what do you intend to deliver into the subsequent Divinity?
Swen Vincke: One of many largest classes was the success of cinematics – and the way we current the story and selections. Clearly, we did loads of issues in another way in BG3 than we did with Divinity: Authentic Sin 2, and that sport was significantly better, I feel. However the truth that, when individuals began seeing selections cinematically, what an influence that has on gamers, how they bond with the characters, and the points of interest and selections in the sport. So I feel that was most likely my largest takeaway from every little thing, yeah, for certain.
IGN: Does returning to the Divinity sequence really feel completely different now following the success of BG3? Do you view this sequence in another way now in contrast to the way you felt about Divinity: Authentic Sin 2?
Swen Vincke: Yeah, in a means. We discovered the worth of getting a stable universe behind you, for certain. One of many first issues we began doing was saying, ‘Okay, we’re gonna put loads of effort into making this universe really feel tidy.’ That is additionally why we’re simply calling it Divinity, proper? There’s by no means been a sport that is simply Divinity first, as a result of there have been every kind of variations with completely different names. So that is truly going to be Divinity, which goes to have a correct universe backing it. We’re constructing every little thing as you’d count on, with a number of surprises, in order that we are able to construct on high of it. We discovered that from BG, as a result of we spent loads of time delving via every kind of DnD books, in order that’s most likely one of many largest takeaways from that improvement course of.
IGN: Divinity can also be totally owned by Larian Studios. You all have intimate information of the lore, and with out working with different companies.
Swen Vincke: Yeah, we additionally benefit from having the ability to do what we wish with it, proper? Different issues don’t bind us. I imply, D&D, for all its glory, is a ruleset that’s made for tabletop role-playing video games. Right here, we benefit from making one thing that is truly a online game first. So it’s extremely completely different, however I feel individuals who loved Baldur’s Gate 3 are gonna love what we’re doing with this.
IGN: There should be a terrific freedom in having the ability to bend and even break the principles of your programs nevertheless you please.
Swen Vincke: Sure, and we wish you to break the programs in our video games. That is our gameplay components; we wish you to break issues.
IGN: That was part of the enjoyable of Baldur’s Gate 3 for many individuals; you could possibly give you some wacky options to fight and quests. Would you say you are wanting to elevate that even with Divinity?
Swen Vincke: Sure [Laughs]. However I can not speak in regards to the sport’s mechanics but. I feel you need to uncover this facet by seeing it. It is one factor to speak about it, however once you’re gonna see it in motion, you are gonna say, ‘Ah!,’ you are gonna be nodding. I feel for those who like BG3, that is gonna be nice.
IGN: Is the scope of this sport greater than Authentic Sin 2 and even Baldur’s Gate 3?
Swen Vincke: Ah, sensible query. I’ll say that it is greater than BG3. I’ve truly by no means in contrast BG3 to Authentic Sin 2, so I do not know what the numbers are. I reckon BG3 is larger for certain, yeah, however Authentic Sin 2 is fairly huge as nicely. I can not evaluate Divinity to Authentic Sin 2 precisely, however I can say that it will be greater than BG3.
IGN: As you develop the Divinity universe additional, do you’re feeling extra snug working inside this setting, and does it really feel simpler in contrast to BG3?
Swen Vincke: I imply, it truly feels a bit more durable as a result of now we have to create the whole universe. We actually wished to tidy up as a result of the primary Divinity video games had been made with little thought for universe-building, and it is solely in Authentic Sin 2 that we began considering extra about it – however even then, not likely 100% to what we did with Baldur’s Gate 3. So now we’re actually occupied with it, and in order that’s loads of work to be certain we get it proper. As a result of it is the little issues, proper? I imply, what do individuals do once they exit to eat? What do they do once they go to sleep? What all of that has to be known as out. So there’s loads of stuff to take into account.
IGN: Shifting to a improvement query, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Authentic Sin 2 used the early entry launch mannequin. Will Divinity be deliberate with an identical launch mannequin, together with early entry?
Swen Vincke: Almost certainly, however I do not need to commit to it proper now, as a result of we do not understand how the video games trade will change. We’re not prepared to do something in early entry but, however I feel it is labored nicely for us in the previous. We had the participant neighborhood and their suggestions, and that has made all of our video games that had been in early entry significantly better. So yeah, I feel we might very very like to try this once more. However that mentioned, we do not need too many individuals enjoying in early entry, as a result of we do want to ‘prepare dinner’ and it is nonetheless a interval of improvement. In order that may be a bit of bit problematic, however we’ll see.
IGN: Provided that Baldur’s Gate 3 and Authentic Sin 2 had been nonetheless very a lot structured in conventional CRPG gameplay, do you’re feeling the necessity to change issues up with mechanics to go for one thing completely different?
Swen Vincke: Effectively, we definitely need to innovate, yeah. However there are some core pillars that we do not want to change. It is going to be a single-player sport, and it is also going to be a cooperative multiplayer sport. Clearly, all inside our components, and there is nonetheless loads of room for innovation. So you will notice. There might be extra company for certain, extra freedom for certain, extra shenanigans that you are able to do for certain. So, in the mix of all this stuff, that is the factor that may shock individuals probably the most.
IGN: It appears like we’re in this renaissance interval for role-playing video games in the wake of Baldur’s Gate 3, particularly the CRPG-style of video video games. As a developer and an admirer of the style, do you’re feeling optimistic about the place this style of video games goes, particularly in how they inform tales?
Swen Vincke: Yeah, definitely for the genres of RPGs, I can not converse for different builders, however you see that there is far more curiosity and funding cash obtainable to put into RPGs. I imply, an RPG gained the Game of the Yr tonight at The Game Awards. We even have Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, which was additionally nominated tonight, together with Hades 2, which has loads of RPG components, regardless that it is a roguelite. So, I feel it is… regular, yeah? As a result of I feel it is among the best genres on the market.
IGN: On that be aware, did you play Expedition 33?
Swen Vincke: I have never completed it but, nevertheless it’s actually good. I took an curiosity in it very early on as a result of the artwork model immediately appealed to me. So yeah, I feel it is a outstanding achievement.
IGN: When it comes to engaged on the subsequent Divinity sport after BG3, is there a way of stress on yourselves to ship?
Swen Vincke: Yeah, the stress is excessive. Stress is excessive. Sure, for certain. We really feel the stress on our shoulders, yeah, particularly as a result of we set excessive ambitions for ourselves. However I imply the alternative of that may be that we are saying, “Oh, what, we’ll simply make a lesser sport.” That would not be very motivating in any respect.
IGN: Effectively, it looks like you are feeling nice in regards to the present imaginative and prescient for Divinity and feeling good about what’s to come.
Swen Vincke: Oh, no, we’re in the center of improvement – there’s at all times nervousness, for certain [Laughs]. These are difficult issues to make, so it is not like, “Oh, let’s make the sport.” No, it is a mess [to make games], however we’ll be superb ultimately. The crew is nice, now we have belief, and we all know that they know what they’re doing, that ultimately we’re going to get what comes out of it. However for those who had been to go and look now, it is as messy as a constructing that’s beneath development, proper?
Ultimately, we are going to determine it out. We’ll be taught the language of the sport and the way to write in it to begin making poetry. Ultimately, it will get actually good, nevertheless it takes time. It takes iteration, and each single time you’re taking an additional step, you be taught extra issues about your sport, and you then enhance it. And that is only a course of that takes time.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.