D&D General Hasbro Is Looking For Partners For Baldur's Gate 4

Last month, Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larion Studios revealed that it was 'elated' not to be working on further D&D video games, expansions, or DLC.

However, Wizard of the Coast's Eugene Evans says that a sequel is still "very much on the cards". Evans is Senior vice president of Digital Strategy and Licensing for Hasbro and WotC, and was talking in an interview with PC Gamer.

“We’re now talking to lots of partners and being approached by a lot of partners who are embracing the challenge of, what does the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise look like? So we certainly hope that it’s not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur’s Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that. But we’re going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur’s Gate. We take that very, very seriously, as we do with all of our decisions around our portfolio. We don’t rush into decisions as to who to partner with on products or what products we should be considering.”

Fans of the characters, such as Shadowheart and Astarian, created by Larion and introduced in BG3 will be pleased to know that they are now owned by WotC, meaning that it's not impossible that they would show up in any sequels. Evans said "Larian created a much loved cast of characters, who were even celebrated by their nominations, the voice actors behind them and the talent behind them was celebrated at the [BAFTAS]...And they are now essentially part of D&D canon."

 

[doctorhook]

Have they? Which ones?

A lot of these examples are just names of cities on the Sword Coast, but some of D&D’s most successful video games were also named after those cities. And it becomes obvious when they start emphasizing the connection by including elements from the video game into the marketing for the new adventure.

Anything where they slap “Baldur’s Gate” on the cover, for one example. Descent into Avernus barely happened in Baldur’s Gate, but the city’s name made it into the title.

“Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden”

“Murder in Baldur’s Gate” and “Legacy of the Crystal Shard” (this one was leaning on a novel, not a game) were adventures published in the dead-times between 4E and 5E.

All the Neverwinter stuff in the flailing days of 4E, evoking Neverwinter Nights. They could’ve picked anywhere, even one of the new cities in post-Spellplague FR, but nope.

This might seem flimsy but I guarantee WotC’s marketing team is aware of past hits for the D&D brand and will definitely try to generate recognition by name dropping.

 

[Reynard]

This might seem flimsy but I guarantee WotC’s marketing team is aware of past hits for the D&D brand and will definitely try to generate recognition by name dropping.

It is flimsy, at least pointing specifically to video games. All those things you mentioned are well known legacy elements of the Realms. Video games are part of the legacy but hardly the main driver. There probably is some nostalgia in the C suite for the 90s though. I'll give you that.

 

[doctorhook]

It is flimsy, at least pointing specifically to video games. All those things you mentioned are well known legacy elements of the Realms. Video games are part of the legacy but hardly the main driver.

Those videos games are the reason why those places are important legacy elements of FR. Baldur’s Gate was just another dot on the fictional map until a major video game was set there.

Additionally, there are a ton of very important legacy Realms locations that didn’t have hit video games named after them and which now have very little name-recognition outside of existing FR fans: Shadowdale, Anauroch, Athkatla, Thay, etc. There’s a reason WotC keeps choosing to name drop a choice handful of place names: nostalgia $$$

There probably is some nostalgia in the C suite for the 90s though. I'll give you that.

Right, that’s why I said they’ve been leaning on nostalgia for a long time. And you’re right, some of this nostalgia is probably stale by now. 10-15 years ago, WotC was leaning on Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, Waterdeep, and Neverwinter, and the fans of those games were similarly younger.

Now probably only BG is really “fresh”, because of the most recent video game. D&D hit a major resurgence in the past few years, and most of these new players won’t have any nostalgia for the other names—they weren’t here for that stuff, they’ll be nostalgic for different things.

But yes, WotC has definitely used nostalgia for classic video games a lot in the past.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So what studios do a descent BG4 turn based D&D game?

I'm wracking my brain, but I can't think of any American ones, except Obisidian maybe, but if they did a game like BG3 I think they'd use their Pillars of Eternity Universe for it.

I think to do it you have to go outside the US for sure. Paradox has studios like Triumph with experience at turn based game play in fantasy settings.

Tactical Adventures has experience at 5e rules, but they lack the size and resources for that, WotC would have to buy them like they did Invoke and then expand the 9 hells out of then, including increasing the size of the writing staff massively.

Edit: I forgot about WotCs internal studios, Archetype and Invoke if they teamed up and get some contract outside help with stuff like mocap and cinematics could do it.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

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Last month, Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larion Studios revealed that it was 'elated' not to be working on further D&D video games, expansions, or DLC.

However, Wizard of the Coast's Eugene Evans says that a sequel is still "very much on the cards". Evans is Senior vice president of Digital Strategy and Licensing for Hasbro and WotC, and was talking in an interview with PC Gamer.

“We’re now talking to lots of partners and being approached by a lot of partners who are embracing the challenge of, what does the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise look like? So we certainly hope that it’s not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur’s Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that. But we’re going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur’s Gate. We take that very, very seriously, as we do with all of our decisions around our portfolio. We don’t rush into decisions as to who to partner with on products or what products we should be considering.”

Fans of the characters, such as Shadowheart and Astarian, created by Larion and introduced in BG3 will be pleased to know that they are now owned by WotC, meaning that it's not impossible that they would show up in any sequels. Evans said "Larian created a much loved cast of characters, who were even celebrated by their nominations, the voice actors behind them and the talent behind them was celebrated at the [BAFTAS]...And they are now essentially part of D&D canon."

I'll point out that Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Karlach, Astarion, Gale, Wyll, Minc, Jeheira, Raphael, Volo, etc..., have already appeared in other video games, Magic the Gathering Online, Magic Arena, and Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. None of them are of the calibre of BG3 of course.

Also being "approached by a lot of partners" suggests there are a lot of companies looking to do the next BG game, I wonder if it will trigger a bidding war.l?

Getting to do the next BG game is both about the big bucks that can be made and the Prestige for a company.

Maybe we are thinking too small here just looking at video game studios, maybe its a bidding war between megacorporations like Google, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, EA, etc..., as well as some of the biggest gane studios like Project CD Red. We could see an insane budget, but WotC could also set terms and expectations, like it has to be turn based, have some barrellmancy, massive choice and a huge amount of writers, all the races and classes and subclasses from the 1D&D PHB and from BG3 (so at minimium Humans, Githyanki, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, Tieflings, Half Orcs & Half Elves [maybe as a human lineage like Icewind Dale], Dragonborn, Goliaths, maybe Aasimar and Genasi), etc...

 

[Longspeak]

I will hold out hope for Supergiant Games. Which I know... never gonna happen. But still.

A LEGO: D&D should allow to test new ideas.

I would play this so hard I'd die of exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition.

Please, yes.

 

[MNblockhead]

So what studios do a descent BG4 turn based D&D game?

I'm wracking my brain, but I can't think of any American ones, except Obisidian maybe, but if they did a game like BG3 I think they'd use their Pillars of Eternity Universe for it.

I think to do it you have to go outside the US for sure. Paradox has studios like Triumph with experience at turn based game play in fantasy settings.

Tactical Adventures has experience at 5e rules, but they lack the size and resources for that, WotC would have to buy them like they did Invoke and then expand the 9 hells out of then, including increasing the size of the writing staff massively.

Edit: I forgot about WotCs internal studios, Archetype and Invoke if they teamed up and get some contract outside help with stuff like mocap and cinematics could do it.

Stoic? Based in Austin, Texas and started by an ex-Bioware staff. I liked Banner Saga, but it was more of a series of tactical combat with cut scenes. I don't know if they could pull off something on the level needed for BG4.

 

[Zardnaar]

Hmm not impossible but gard and we won't see it for years anyway. Towards the end of 5.5 or PS6.

1. You need someone with enough finances to fund it.

2. Competent to handle it.

3. Not to big where they would rather do their own IP. Even if a big studio was keen tgey like microtransactions and loot boxes.

Leaves a small handful of developers/publishers several have been mentioned eg Paradox, Obsidian, Owlcat.

Some random might get it but expectations wouldn't be that high tbh.

 

[VicsHacienda]

They would not want to just leave cash on the table, so of course.

The interesting part is that they seem to understand how foolish it would have been to try to have a new studio understand Larian's code base in order to produce more BG3 content.

It is the right decision to focus on a BG4. (Even if that game might suck)

But why would Larian leave cash on the table?

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

But why would Larian leave cash on the table?

There is cash on other tables as well, and Larian can only sit at one of them.