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Larian Studios is already starting work on its next project as Patch 8 shapes up to be the last major patch for Baldur’s Gate 3. As the studio starts production on its next title to launch sometime in 2028 or beyond, Larian’s publishing director has warned industry peers that shipping games is about to get a lot more tiring as online culture continues to thrive on sowing division.
Baldur’s Gate 3 dev warns their peers
In a series of posts on Twitter, Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing director Michael Douse spoke about the ongoing struggles of releasing games in the modern year. With even massive AAA games like Naughty’s Dog’s new Intergalactic being met with online vitriol, the spread of “division” across the gaming community is making it harder tor teams to ship games.
Despite this, Douse released some free advice to his peers that are working on games, or even just planning to:
“2025 (and beyond) is going to be an extremely tough time to ship a game, with division spilling into everything,” they wrote. “I have one practical piece of advice that may to some seem controversial, but it’s crucial: anticipate, don’t ignore, or ridicule, or stoke. Figure it out. Navigate the waters even if you think they’re unfair, or that the sea shouldn’t be so rough. The reality is that it is.”
Douse explained that the games industry that the spread of division and the increased “perception of otherness” has resulted in a troublesome period for game development as publishers want to please the highest common denominator.
“This is now the reality. In an industry where high risk = pleasing everyone, it is basically antithetical to success. I also believe in individualism (be whoever you want to be, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else), but division has created a world of a**holes,” the developer said.
Douse explained that the idea of creating whatever character you want to be in RPGs is an idea that is fundementally progressive, and it’s something that many online voices are now pushing against that idea. Nevertheless, Douse, and Larian, aren’t giving up on this idea of gameplay freedom, and will be acitvely pursuing it in whatever the team makes next.
“I want to contribute to a world of games where each player can be whoever they want to be and either publicly or privately celebrate that without judgment, across the entire human experience,” the Baldur’s Gate 3 dev said. “I guess that’s why I love RPGs. They give agency, they don’t remove it.”
For more Baldur’s Gate 3 coverage, read about the team’s recent win at The Game Awards 2024. You can also read Lae’Zel actress Devora Wilde’s thoughts on returning as the character in a new game or expanion.
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