The prospect of developing Baldur's Gate 4 looms large over the RPG landscape, with many studios reportedly hesitant to tackle a project that carries the immense expectations set by Larian Studios' critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3. However, Owlcat Games, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, has expressed an openness to the challenge, though creative director Alexander Mishulin stressed that a new entry would need to embrace its own unique vision.
Following Larian's decision to move on from the Baldur's Gate franchise, fans have speculated about which developer might be capable of continuing the legacy. Owlcat Games, often cited in these discussions, released Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader in 2023, a cRPG that drew comparisons to Baldur's Gate 3 for its depth, character, and extensive content. While Rogue Trader was successful and has paved the way for a new Warhammer 40,000 title, Mishulin acknowledged the immense honor in being considered for Baldur's Gate 4.
"First of all, I would like to thank all the players, all your audience that consider us to be able to do that," Mishulin stated. "It's a really great honor. You already said that we are a little bit masochistic. So yeah, we will consider it a great challenge!"
He clarified that his willingness to consider the project does not imply a confirmation but highlights an understanding of the undertaking. Mishulin believes that any studio attempting Baldur's Gate 4 would be setting itself up for failure if it tried to replicate Larian's approach. "In my opinion, Larian has made their own vision of how a sequel to Baldur's Gate should be, and they presented it to us. Any other studio that will be doing BG4 will be doing their own game in the Baldur's Gate setting," he explained. He further elaborated that Baldur's Gate 3 is deeply tied to Larian's specific formula, developed over decades of experience with their Divinity series, making direct imitation impossible.
"It will not be Larian's BG3, because BG3 is very Larian formula, with all their ideas for combat and how they mix with Dungeons & Dragons, with their idea of the co-op experience and how it plays into the Dungeons & Dragons experience," Mishulin said. "So any studio that would be trying to replicate that is bound to fail. It’s just not the way it works. Larian were making such games for 20 years, 30 years right now, starting from the first Divinity. It's their view of the games, it's their view of RPGs, and it's a great game."
Instead, Mishulin envisions a future Baldur's Gate 4 developed by another studio as something distinct, incorporating the new developer's own "DNA, their own ideas." He expressed hope that a studio would emerge that is "brave enough and passionate enough and skillful enough to do that game," a sentiment that appears to align with Owlcat's own approach to its challenging projects.
Reports indicate that Hasbro, the owner of Dungeons & Dragons, intends to pursue Baldur's Gate 4. However, developers like James Ohlen, formerly of Archetype Entertainment, have reportedly declined opportunities to lead such a project, citing the immense difficulty in competing with Baldur's Gate 3's success and Larian's unique technological and creative advantages, including their proprietary engine which they have retained. Ohlen suggested that any new effort would require significant foundational work, potentially taking half a decade to build the necessary technology and institutional knowledge.