Baldur’s Gate 3: No DLC plans and a clear path beyond the Baldur’s Gate series
At the Game Developers Choice Awards 2024, the leadership of Larian Studios shared a candid view on the future of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the broader Dungeons & Dragons universe. The message was straightforward: there will be no downloadable content to extend Baldur’s Gate 3, and a new mainline Baldur’s Gate game in the style of a traditional sequel will not be pursued in the near term.
Sven Vincke, the studio’s guiding figure, explained that after the major success of the core game, the team did begin exploring DLC ideas. The goal was to expand the world with new mechanics and experiences. However, the effort faced several obstacles. The planned DLC would have needed a fresh combat system, but such a change clashed with the core rules of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. Beyond that technical hurdle, there were no compelling concepts that felt genuinely meaningful to add to the existing story and world.
Vincke emphasized that the team’s decision to pause and ultimately cancel the DLC project came from a place of authentic passion. He described Larian as a studio that follows its heart, prioritizing ideas that resonate deeply over those that merely appear commercially viable. After a Christmas break, the leadership reassessed the project and chose not to move forward.
In reflecting on the moment, Vincke suggested that the team could look back on Baldur’s Gate 3 with a sense of completion. The studio recognized that the game’s arc has a defined beginning, middle, and end. Rather than extending the narrative with new installments that might dilute the experience, the team opted to pass the baton to another studio to carry forward the legacy. The sentiment was that Baldur’s Gate 3 stands as a strong, standalone achievement rather than a foundation for ongoing DLC-driven content.
Officials from Larian indicated that the staff welcomed the strategic shift. The decision signaled a broader move away from expanding Baldur’s Gate with additional paid content and toward redirecting creative energy toward entirely new ventures. This reorientation makes clear that Larian’s next major effort will not be Divinity: Original Sin 3, but something different in spirit yet familiar to players who enjoyed the studio’s storytelling and gameplay sensibilities.
Despite the shift away from DLC and a traditional sequel, Baldur’s Gate 3 shone at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. The game earned top recognition across several categories and was celebrated as the standout title of the event. The accolades underscored the game’s impact and the studio’s ability to deliver a rich, expansive experience within the Baldur’s Gate universe while charting a distinct path forward for the company.
Earlier discussions around Sven Vincke’s public profile revealed a personal anecdote that highlighted the blend of ambition and practicality that characterizes his leadership. The anecdote, cited in a separate feature, recalled a moment when he had to ask his future wife for money for gasoline after exhausting savings on developer salaries, illustrating the pragmatic, sometimes frugal, realities that accompany creative leadership.
Times