It’s no surprise to anyone that Wizards of the Coast is delighted with the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. It was a brand they hadn’t used in twenty-five years and it has been a success, even greater than its two previous installments. This has made them consider something that fans have been asking for years: the need for more Baldur’s Gate. Although they are encountering some problems along the way.
Larian Studios has confirmed that they will not continue working on new content for Baldur’s Gate 3 and that they have their hands full with two new IPs. This leaves Wizards of the Coast in a delicate situation. They must find a new studio to work on the franchise if they want to continue it.
That’s why Wizards of the Coast is now looking for a studio that can take on the task of making Baldur’s Gate 4. Stating that they are already talking to several potential partners, what are their options? That’s what we’re going to dissect in this article. Because the truth is that, although there are many talented studios, very few could successfully carry out such a massive project.
Obsidian Entertainment
Few names are as obvious for making Baldur’s Gate 4 as Obsidian Entertainment. Composed of former developers from Black Isle Studios, who made the first two Baldur’s Gate games, they have specialized in RPGs and have released some of the best isometric RPGs in recent years. The problem is that being under the umbrella of Bethesda and considering that they haven’t been given a big project in years, apart from The Outer Worlds, it remains to be seen how feasible this bet is.
inXile Entertainment
Other people who have the experience to successfully carry out a project of this kind are inXile Entertainment. This Californian studio, a subsidiary of Microsoft, has made excellent RPGs with The Bard’s Tale and Wasteland franchises, as well as the interesting Torment: Tides of Numenera. Spiritual successor to Planescape Torment, a game related to Baldur’s Gate. The problem is that they are a subsidiary of Microsoft and they are a relatively small studio, with 80 people, and we don’t know if they are prepared for what a project of this magnitude would entail.
Piranha Bytes
Among the studios that have never touched anything related to Dungeons & Dragons, one of the best candidates is Piranha Bytes. This German studio is part of Embracer Group and has games like the Gothic, Risen, and ELEX franchises in their portfolio. The problem is that they are an even smaller studio than inXile, they have suffered monumental cuts because of Embracer, and the reception of their games has been questionable in recent years. Something that makes them doubtful candidates.
Capcom
This is the most unimaginable crazy ball, but it’s not as absurd as it seems a Baldur’s Gate 4 from Capcom. Not when they have Hideaki Itsuno on their team. Dragon’s Dogma 2 has shown that they know perfectly the foundations of western RPG and how to take it to interesting and unexpected places. Including playing a lot with the terrain and the unexpected. There would be no problem in terms of human and financial resources, but the problem is evident: it is a Japanese studio and they have never made a game like Baldur’s Gate. It’s a crazy bet, although perhaps one that could bear fruit.
Owlcat Games
If there is a studio that is the perfect candidate right now to make a Baldur’s Gate 4 that is not Obsidian, it is likely to be Owlcat Games. This Cyprus-based studio has 450 employees, they are independent, and their two Pathfinder games and their Warhammer 40K game are praised by critics and the public. All of this with an evident inspiration from the classic Black Isle games. The question is whether they would be able to scale that up to the size of what Baldur’s Gate 3 was. Although if a studio seems to be the next Larian, that is Owlcat Games.
The future is interesting
Wizards of the Coast have options. Now that their best option, having Larian Studios make Baldur’s Gate 4, is no longer a possibility, they still have some options. Few. Not very clear. But there are interesting scenarios in the future for a hypothetical Baldur’s Gate 4. Something that makes us look with interest and hope to the future of this mythical franchise without a single title that is not a classic.
