Baldur's Gate 3, released a year and a half ago, continues to captivate players with its compelling gameplay, leading many to multiple playthroughs. However, with Larian Studios moving on from the series, Hasbro now holds the reins of the future of Baldur's Gate. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long for news regarding the franchise's direction.
Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Dan Ayoub, Hasbro's SVP of digital games, revealed significant interest within Hasbro in the Baldur's Gate franchise following Larian's departure. He hinted at upcoming announcements: "We're working out our plans for the future and what we're going to be doing with that. And actually, in pretty short order, we're going to have some stuff to talk about around that."
While Ayoub remained tight-lipped about specifics – whether this involves a full Baldur's Gate 4 or a different approach, perhaps a crossover similar to the Magic: The Gathering collaboration – he confirmed his desire for a Baldur's Gate 4, acknowledging the considerable development time such a project would require. He emphasized a measured approach: "We're not in a hurry… We're going to take a very measured approach… We're starting to think about, okay, yeah, we're ready to start dipping toes a little bit and talking about a few things."
Ayoub also recognized the immense pressure to deliver a successful sequel, a pressure that extends to other Dungeons & Dragons projects under Hasbro's purview, including a game announced last year. He expressed confidence in rising to the challenge: "I'm never one to shy down from a challenge… I think that's our hope, right? We would keep raising the bar and everyone just tries to go a little higher."
Ayoub also discussed other topics, including Magic: The Gathering, its collaboration with Saber Interactive, and Hasbro's overall gaming strategy. A full interview will be available next week.
Every IGN 10 of 2023
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