Larian CEO and founder Swen Vincke thinks he’s cracked the first act of his next game…

Swen Vincke, CEO and founder of Larian Studio (developer of Baldur’s Gate 3) took to Twitter to share developments regarding his next game – namely that he already has a solid outline.

“Been a great morning! After 4 months of rewriting and rewriting and abandoning ideas and then revisiting them, I finally figured out what Act 1 on this thing I’ve been working on needs to be.” In case you’re completely new to Larian’s style of play, games are usually divided into acts. For example, Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3 begins after the Nautiloid crashes and ends when you reach the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

This won’t surprise anyone, but it does suggest that Larian is working on another CRPG, not a first-person rhythm shooter or a roguelike cooking/dating simulator.

Vincke seems pretty confident that this first draft will hold up. “Quote me when it’s revealed to see how much of today’s draft survives. I suspect a lot,” still – even if he does scrap the whole thing, he writes that “work done on abandoned drafts is never wasted, even if you think the drafts are shit. More than often, you’ll find you can recycle your work once you find the right story for it.”

He continues: “This type of work can be really frustrating when you’re stuck, but the important bit is to never give up and remain self-critical, even if the situation looks hopeless.”

It’s a nice insight into the creative philosophy that made Game of the Year. It’s no surprise, given that the studio nearly went bankrupt before Divinity: Original Sin. Vincke is pretty much the industry expert on getting back on your feet, even if you have your doubts.

Still – even if we’re still a long way from any concrete announcements of Baldur’s Gate 4, Divinity: Original Sin 3, or some secret third thing (like a Star Wars game, perhaps?) – it’s nice to get a glimpse into the man behind the curtain shaking the industry stands behind. It also reminds me that work is hard. Self-doubt affects everyone equally, even if the person has won millions of awards.

Source: X

Been a great morning! After 4 months of rewriting and rewriting and abandoning ideas and then revisiting them, finally figured out what act 1 on this thing I've been working on needs to be. Quote me when it's revealed to see how much of today's draft survives. I suspect a lot.

— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) January 8, 2024