Larian says Divinity will be bigger than BG3 — and faster to make. Here’s why that matters

Why this announcement actually matters to RPG fans

This caught my attention because Larian just promised an RPG that’s “bigger” than Baldur’s Gate 3 while aiming to shave years off development time. That’s exactly the kind of gamble that can produce something jaw-dropping – or a sprawling mess. Either way, it’s worth watching.

• Divinity will be turn-based and pitched as a larger-scale follow-up to BG3.
• Larian aims for a three-to-four year development cycle and plans to use early access again.
• The studio is expanding its writing team and using generative AI for concept work while keeping performances human.
• There’s real potential – and real risks – in trying to go bigger faster.

Breaking down the reveal: what Larian actually announced

At the Game Awards reveal — which, yes, leaked ahead of time — Larian presented Divinity as an unapologetic escalation: turn-based combat, more scope than Baldur’s Gate 3, and new systems that the studio teases as things “you haven’t seen in RPGs before.” CEO Sven Vincke told Jason Schreier at Bloomberg that the goal is a healthier three-to-four year development window, instead of the six years it took to finish BG3.

That’s the headline. The subtext is equally interesting: Larian is growing its writing staff to build “storylines in parallel rather than in a linear fashion,” and it’s leaning on generative AI for concept art, PowerPoint fleshing and placeholder text — but stresses that final performances will be done by human actors and core writing is still in-house.

Why three-to-four years is both promising and worrisome

BG3’s long, painful, triumphant development cycle is etched into the studio’s DNA. It survived a studio closure after the invasion of Ukraine, remote-work pandemic headaches, and a notoriously bumpy early access. That gruelling slog produced one of this generation’s best RPGs — but it also taught Larian how costly long cycles can be.

Cutting that to three or four years is sensible if you want freshness and momentum — fewer scope creep traps, less burnout, and faster returns for players — but it’s easier said than done. Bigger scope usually means more coordination overhead. The idea of parallel storylines can accelerate writing, but parallel work creates integration problems: how do you keep plot beats coherent when dozens of writers are pushing content at once?

AI in the pipeline — helpful tool or early crack in the craft?

Larian admitting it’s “pushing hard on generative AI” for concept work is refreshingly blunt. Using AI to mock up PowerPoint pitches, concept art, or placeholder text is exactly the low-risk, high-efficiency use case studios should be exploring. Vincke says everything players will experience is performed by humans and written by humans — but that line can blur fast in practice.

There’s already internal pushback at Larian and public debate among actors — you may remember comments from performers worried about AI undercutting income. My take: AI as a time-saver for early ideation is smart. Rely on humans for final writing, motion, and voice work. If Larian sticks to that, the studio could shave months off production without cheapening the craft. If not, fans will notice.

Early access again — what players should expect

Vincke confirmed Divinity will come to early access, though he suggested it’s unlikely to happen in 2026. BG3’s early access period lasted over two-and-a-half years and was fraught with bugs and drama — but it also let Larian iterate with player feedback and refine one of the best RPGs out there. Expect something similar: a playable slice months (or years) before 1.0, with the usual trade-offs of rough systems for earlier input.

What this means for gamers

If you’re a fan of Larian’s style — emergent systems, brutal honesty in choice-and-consequence, and dense, replayable storytelling — Divinity looks like it will give you more of what you love, faster. The promise of new RPG tricks is exciting; the plan to scale the writing team and leverage AI for concepting suggests Larian learned lessons from its BG3 marathon and wants to operate smarter not just longer.

But be skeptical. Bigger scope plus shorter timelines can lead to crunch, cut features, or a long early access with glaring holes. Watch for how Larian handles integration between parallel storylines, how tightly early access is scoped, and whether AI truly stays in the ideation room.

TL;DR

Larian’s Divinity is shaping up to be an ambitious, turn-based follow-up to BG3 — bigger in scope, faster to make, and headed to early access. I’m excited to see the gameplay and curious (wary, even) about whether the studio can deliver scale without sacrificing polish or craft.