Following its dramatic reveal at The Game Awards, Larian Studios has begun to pull back the curtain on Divinity, the highly anticipated follow-up to Baldur's Gate 3. In a series of interviews, studio founder Swen Vincke and key creative leads have confirmed the project is now in full production, detailing an ambitious vision that aims to surpass their previous work in scope, player freedom, and technical execution. This new RPG is not a simple sequel but a foundational step into a darker, more reactive world built on years of accumulated experience.
Divinity Moves Beyond Pre-Production into Active Development
Contrary to assumptions that the cinematic trailer signaled the very beginning of work, Larian has confirmed that Divinity is already past the pre-production phase. The studio has entered a state of continuous, iterative development, a hallmark of their creative process. Most notably, actor recording sessions have already commenced in Larian's newly expanded studio facilities in Guilford, which houses six dedicated recording studios. Swen Vincke emphasized that this early and intensive focus on performance capture is a direct indicator of the game's scale, stating the plan is for these studios to be "recording nonstop" throughout the project's lifespan to accommodate the vast amount of player-driven content.
Key Development Details for Divinity:
- Development Stage: In full production (past pre-production).
- Combat System: Confirmed turn-based, but with a completely new rule set.
- Core Ambition: "Much higher" player agency than Baldur's Gate 3, with deeper consequence chains.
- Technical Updates: Major engine overhaul for faster performance capture integration, designer tools, and playtesting analytics.
- Tone: Darker and more cinematic than previous Larian games, but focused on narrative contrast, not constant grimdark.
- Release Model: Early access is being considered but not yet confirmed. No release date provided.
A New Rule Set for Turn-Based Combat
Addressing immediate fan speculation, Larian has confirmed that Divinity will retain turn-based combat, a core pillar of their design philosophy since the Original Sin series. However, Vincke was clear that this is not a rehash of past systems. The team is building a completely new rule set from the ground up, informed by all the lessons learned from Divinity: Original Sin 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and their predecessors. This suggests a fresh approach to tactical gameplay that leverages their updated technology and design experience, promising evolution rather than repetition.
Unprecedented Player Agency is the Core Ambition
When Larian calls Divinity its "biggest most ambitious RPG yet," the primary metric is player agency. Vincke stated the goal is to provide a level of narrative and systemic control "much higher than what happened in BG3." This ambition translates into "deeper sequences of consequence," where player choices resonate more profoundly and intricately throughout the entire game world. The writing team, including director Adam Smith, described a process where the player character is the central catalyst, with the world and its inhabitants reacting and evolving in response, making the story a collaborative, dynamic creation between developer and player.
Larian's Development Philosophy (from interviews):
- Iterative Writing: The studio does not lock scripts early. Writing and character development happen in tandem with building the game world, with heavy reliance on in-engine testing.
- Performance-Driven: Actor recording begins very early in production and continues non-stop to support a vast, reactive narrative.
- Player-Centric Design: The player character is the central force; the world and its NPCs are designed to react to the player's choices and identity.
Technical and Narrative Evolution with a Darker Tone
To facilitate this ambition, Larian has significantly updated its proprietary game engine. Improvements include a highly automated motion capture pipeline that can integrate performances into the game almost instantly, new tools for rapid gameplay rule experimentation, and enhanced analytics for more effective playtesting. These technical strides support the game's darker, more intimate tone, showcased in the reveal trailer. The team clarified that while Divinity explores horror and mature themes more viscerally than their past games—benefiting from a cinematic, close-up perspective—it is not an exercise in unrelenting grimdark. The narrative is built on contrast, offering players the chance to be a beacon of hope or an agent of chaos within a troubled world.
Release Strategy and Development Philosophy Remain Iterative
Larian has not committed to a release window or even a confirmed launch model, though early access was mentioned as a distinct possibility. This uncertainty aligns with their philosophy of iterative development, where stories, characters, and systems are refined through constant playtesting and feedback. Smith noted that writing for such a reactive game requires seeing dialogue and scenes in the game engine to judge their authenticity, a process that inherently resists a locked-in script from the start. As Vincke succinctly put it, "Production is hell with a developer that iterates so much," but that very process is what has defined Larian's path to creating landmark RPGs.