We often talk about Baldur’s Gate, but the CRPG genre had a “little brother” Larian could have revived. Icewind Dale is one of those Dungeons & Dragons RPGs that was left behind after the Black Isle era—yet remains one of the genre’s true classics.

You don’t hear about it much anymore, but Black Isle Studios—the studio that eventually became Obsidian Entertainment—ruled the classic CRPG scene in the late ’90s. They made the original pre-Bethesda Fallout games, published the iconic Baldur’s Gate titles, and delivered Planescape: Torment, set in one of the most unique Dungeons & Dragons worlds.

Alongside Baldur’s Gate and Planescape—which Wizards of the Coast is still exploring with new content—the Californians also developed another D&D series that’s perhaps less familiar: Icewind Dale, which received two games and a few expansions between 2000 and 2002.

If you’re not familiar, Icewind Dale is set in the far northwest of Faerûn, the heart of the Forgotten Realms—D&D’s quintessential world. Black Isle’s game used the 2nd Edition rules and was inspired by R.A. Salvatore’s trilogy of novels set in the same location.

Icewind Dale is widely regarded as one of the best series in the D&D universe, and Black Isle’s 2000 release was no exception: both reviews and sales were outstanding. The gameplay was nearly identical to other Infinity Engine classics (Planescape: Torment, Baldur’s Gate), and it remains a cult favorite among CRPG fans today.

If you want to try it now, you’re in luck: Beamdog released an Enhanced Edition in 2014, giving the game a technical facelift so it runs perfectly on modern hardware. You can get it on Steam and GOG.

The Uncertain Future of Icewind Dale

So, could Icewind Dale ever make a comeback? In a way, yes—but the situation is far from clear. Right now, the biggest developer of D&D-based video games is undeniably Larian Studios, thanks to the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Many saw Swen Vincke and the Belgian team as worthy successors to Black Isle’s lost tales—but it wasn’t to be.

In February 2024, just months after BG3’s release, Swen Vincke posted a photo on Twitter of “recording ice” for a sound session. At the time, fans speculated this hinted at an Icewind Dale project—but in hindsight, it was little more than a long shot.

There’s a Baldur’s Gate 3 you’ll never get to play—it was nearly finished twenty years ago, but vanished forever.

Later, it came out that Larian wanted to break away from Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, leaving the Americans without their “golden goose.” The result is a mixed picture: Larian is working on two major projects without a D&D license, while Hasbro/WotC reportedly have around forty games in the pipeline based on their own IP (according to Game File).

A few days ago, Wizards of the Coast announced a single-player D&D action game developed with Giant Skull—whether it’s a hit or a flop, it won’t be a classic Infinity Engine-style CRPG. That means both Planescape: Torment and the even more forgotten Icewind Dale remain unfinished stories.

Source: PC Gamer