Larian Studios is effectively done with Baldur’s Gate 3, but no DLC plans means it can focus on its next two role-playing games.
Thanks to the overwhelming success of Baldur’s Gate 3, it felt like a safe bet that developer Larian Studios would pump out at least one DLC expansion. In fact, the studio began discussing the possibility in the wake of the game’s launch in August 2023.
Many months later though, and whatever plans Larian had were abandoned, with studio boss Swen Vincke announcing that there would not only be no DLC, but it wouldn’t be helming the inevitable sequel either.
Theories of a falling out between Larian and Dungeons & Dragons licence holder Hasbro aside, Vincke has since given a simpler and blunter explanation for the lack of DLC: it would’ve been boring to make.
Vincke recently spoke with GameSpot, to discuss the future of Larian, his thoughts on AI in game development, and plenty of other topics.
The subject of Baldur’s Gate 3’s abandoned DLC plans came up, with Vincke specifically asked why Larian was not in the ‘DLC business.’
‘It’s boring,’ Vincke answered, adding that there is simply ‘no passion’ for it within the studio. ‘I mean happy player, happy business, but you also need a happy developer for a happy player. What we’re doing now makes developers way more happy.
It very much sounds like plans for Baldur’s Gate 3 DLC only began out of obligation, since Larian felt it was something it was supposed to do. According to Vincke, ‘The moment that we had some time to think, we realised, ‘What are you doing?’
‘Progressive insight is not a bad thing, so sometimes you go down the wrong path and then say, ‘Oh f*** it’, and just change course.’
It’s a strange position, that Vincke doesn’t really explain, but the previous two Divinity: Original Sin games also didn’t have any DLC, so apparently Larian just doesn’t like making it.
The closest there’s been to DLC for Baldur’s Gate 3 is numerous patches, that have added new features to the game. The latest one dropped just a couple of weeks ago, introducing new subclasses and a photo mode, although Larian swears this is the last major update for the game.
Elsewhere in the interview, Vincke mentioned that Larian is ‘deep in the trenches’ on its next project, which is ‘shaping up quite well’ and is ‘crazy ambitious.’
As a reminder, Larian is juggling development on two new role-playing games. Only the biggest studios can manage two triple-A titles at once, and even then they usually make only one and several smaller titles. But in this case Vincke wants games developed in parallel, so that the larger first team can quickly move over to help the smaller second once they’re finished.
‘I hope I can tell you five years from now: We cracked it. We figured it out. This is what we’re doing now,’ says Vincke, who is aware the approach is a risk.
‘… And when game two is going to be ready, we already have another thing that’s gonna come. If we can make that work in a really good way, that we enjoy our lives, that’s gonna be mission accomplished.’
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