The Developers at Larian Is Well Aware That Divinity Trailer Was Provocative — That's the Point.

For a fortnight, an enigmatic demonic monolith in the Mojave Desert became the gaming world's biggest mystery. Conjecture kicked into high gear when an industry producer published an image of the curious statue, implying it was a teaser for a major game unveiling. Gamers everywhere raced to decipher the mystery. Might it signal new content for a major series? A long-awaited sequel in an iconic saga?

Meanwhile, the developers at Larian Studios found themselves happily sharing every wild theory in a private channel. They possessed the answer: it was a teaser for their next project. Their private discussions served as the exclusive place they could discuss it, bound by a strict oath of secrecy. Their commitment to silence was so complete that they even became swept up in the speculative frenzy.

"I had a moment where seeing people speculate that it was a sequel to *Bloodborne*," explained *Divinity's* writing director, "And I thought ‘Oh, I hope it is!’ Then it hit me: ‘No, it certainly is not!’"

This marketing stunt provided a classic shared mystery, but it simultaneously sparked a critical question: "Is it possible to end up disappointing people if you create anticipation?" This dilemma is one Larian Studios is about to grapple with as their next RPG approaches. Described as the studio's "largest-scale" title so far, the RPG is going to attract a lot more attention following the massive success of their previous project, the celebrated *Baldur's Gate 3*.

A Homecoming

"I think the biggest thing is that we have no desire to disappoint fans," stated Larian founder Swen Vincke, when asked about concerns over alienating new fans hoping for a direct sequel. "Our belief is that the core appeal they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the interactive experience. That is our formula, and it was originated in the *Divinity* series. *Divinity* is essentially going back to the foundation of it."

Larian pulled out a cinematic spectacle to get *Baldur's Gate 3* fans curious about *Divinity*. Its cinematic trailer demonstrated blockbuster polish, centering around a disturbing scene reminiscent of folk horror. The teaser was packed with graphic imagery, designed in part on a developer. It was a assured reveal, demonstrating the studio's belief in its next game.

However, this return to their own series was not initially the plan. Although the studio intended to revisit its original CRPG series in time, they first wanted to creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project more familiar to that setting. *Divinity* has been in production for about a couple of years following a significant shift in plans.

"Initially, we were working on a new game set in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," noted Vincke. "We planned to work gradually on *Divinity* subsequently. But we saw that our hearts weren't really in it. We had finished our journey with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so jumping into a sequel wasn't what we wanted. So we halted that project. That decision sped up everything for *Divinity*, which left us in a position where we had to build from the ground up."

Building a New Foundation

Returning to *Divinity* after nearly a decade posed a daunting challenge. The team acquired tremendous experience making *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke calls the *Divinity* series at a more "advanced level." Now, he claims that the new *Divinity* will be an still more evolved version of its predecessor. To accomplish that, Larian needed to begin by re-solidifying the world's foundation.

"One of the first things we did was lay the groundwork for a coherent universe, because the *Divinity* lore was previously all over the place," Vincke explained. "We had to re-establish it, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. At the same time, we were building a new engine, so we adjusted our plans to implement it sooner. The engine shift obviously was not as smoothly as expected, so we're now wrapping up a complicated transition period."

Vincke stated that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG that can be played alone or in co-op multiplayer. It is also a standalone title, despite being set after the events of the last major entry. Veteran fans will encounter some familiar characters, but prior knowledge will not be essential. The aim is to create a "believable world where extraordinary things occur because of player agency."

The Core Pillar: Player Agency

This last point is crucial. When asked what Larian views as the most important thing to get right in *Divinity*, Vincke gave a single-word answer: agency. Larian's goal is to craft a more complex RPG packed with intricate "gameplay mechanics." This commitment to deep simulation was a cornerstone of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio states it is enhancing that philosophy more aggressively here.

"A central part of our mantra is 'forge your own path.' So the freedom we want to grant you is the most ambitious part," Vincke said. "We are implementing sequences in there that will lead you to exclaim, 'Really? It reacts? But all I did was one small action!' We won't spoil these connections themselves. When we, during testing discovered we could connect these elements, it gave me pure delight. It excited my inner player, and that is the emotion I want players to experience when the game releases."

In addition to the expanded focus on player agency, the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been instrumental to *Divinity*'s design. The studio specifically points out that it gained significant expertise in narrative design and creating in-game story moments from that project, which will be a key focus of the new game.

Building with Player Feedback

The team also examined the difficulties they faced during the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke observes that introducing new players could be daunting in that game due to complex class rules. To make *Divinity* more approachable from the start, Larian set out to "define our own game systems so we could make it more video game friendly."

"A prime example was reactive mechanics in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke recalled. "Initially, we were resistant to include them. During early access, the community insisted on them. We worried it would interrupt the gameplay. So we added them in and discovered, well, it's actually better. They had a point! It was a great moment because it significantly made the game better."

With this in mind, Larian's player base will be pivotal to *Divinity*'s success. Vincke stated that the studio will keep incorporating fan feedback