Larian’s New Divinity: Turn-Based RPG Beyond Baldur’s Gate 3

Larian Studios has confirmed that its next major role-playing game, set in the long-running Divinity universe, will be a fully turn-based RPG. This project follows the enormous success of Baldur’s Gate 3 and marks a return to Larian’s own world of Rivellon, with a custom ruleset instead of Dungeons & Dragons. While details are still emerging, there is already enough information to sketch out what this new Divinity could mean for fans of tactical, story-rich CRPGs.

This article draws on public interviews, official information, and industry context to explore what we know so far and what we can reasonably infer about Larian’s next step in RPG design.

From Baldur’s Gate 3 Back to Rivellon

Larian has spent years working in someone else’s universe. With Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin 2, the studio built its reputation on reactive quests, combat puzzles, and a whimsical but dark fantasy world. Then came Baldur’s Gate 3, adapting the 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons ruleset into a game that sold millions and brought mainstream attention back to isometric-style CRPGs.

Now the studio is pivoting back to its own IP. The new game, currently referred to simply as Divinity, is set once again in Rivellon, but it is being positioned as a fresh entry point rather than a direct continuation of older plots. For players, that means:

• No prior knowledge of the series is required to follow the story.
• Existing fans can expect nods, continuity, and lore payoffs.
• Larian is free from D&D’s licensing and rules constraints, able to experiment more boldly with systems and worldbuilding.

According to Larian’s own support materials, Divinity: Original Sin 2 was already framed as a “tactical, turn based RPG where player choices have consequences,” emphasizing the ability to talk to anyone, kill any NPC, and approach quests creatively through more than 200 skills across 12 schools of magic and abilities.¹ The new game is described as taking this philosophy and pushing it further.

Turn-Based Combat: Confirmed and Central

The biggest question around the announcement was whether Larian would stick with turn-based combat or pivot to action. Earlier entries in the broader franchise, such as Divinity II: Ego Draconis, used third-person action combat, leading some fans to speculate that the new Divinity might shift genres toward real-time action RPG territory.

Those doubts have now been settled. Larian leadership has stated in interviews that the new Divinity will indeed be a turn-based RPG, very much in the lineage of Original Sin and Baldur’s Gate 3. That means:

• Grid-free, initiative-based encounters where every action is calculated and visible.
• Careful positioning, use of elevation, and environmental interaction as core mechanics.
• Buildcraft and party composition mattering as much as moment-to-moment reflexes.

Turn-based combat has been central to Larian’s modern identity. With Original Sin 2, the studio showcased how turn-based systems can support deep tactical play and emergent solutions, from electrifying water surfaces to chaining teleportation spells across the battlefield. Baldur’s Gate 3 then demonstrated that this style of combat can find a wide audience when combined with cinematic storytelling and strong characterization.

With the next Divinity, Larian appears intent on refining, not replacing, this formula.

Leaving D&D Behind: A New Ruleset

Another major shift is the departure from Dungeons & Dragons. Baldur’s Gate 3 faithfully implemented many pillars of D&D 5th edition: ability scores, saving throws, classes, and spell slots among them, largely matching the tabletop rules documented in the official system reference materials.² That structure brought familiarity and consistency, but also notable constraints:

• Some spells or subclasses were difficult to implement faithfully in a video game format.
• Balance tweaks required careful negotiation with the expectations of the tabletop community.
• Certain design ideas simply clashed with established D&D mechanics.

For the new Divinity, Larian is building its own proprietary ruleset. Early comments suggest that this system is designed from the ground up for video game play rather than tabletop translation. Potential implications include:

• More flexible action and resource systems not bound to the traditional action/bonus action structure.
• Custom status effects and surfaces tailored to systemic play, without worrying about D&D spell parity.
• New progression models that differentiate Divinity from typical class/level structures.

Because the ruleset is proprietary, Larian can also iterate quickly during early access. Instead of waiting on external approvals or fidelity debates, the studio can alter core mechanics in response to telemetry and feedback, a practice common in live game and early access development across the industry.³

A New Engine Built for Reactivity

Larian has indicated that the upcoming Divinity runs on a new engine, rather than the same technology stack used for Baldur’s Gate 3. Building or heavily overhauling an engine is an expensive and time-consuming choice, but it is often driven by long-term needs such as scalability, pipeline efficiency, and platform support.

Public comments from the studio and technical trends suggest that this engine is being designed to better support:

• More dynamic environments with persistent changes and complex physics interactions.
• Improved cinematic storytelling, including facial animation and performance capture.
• Cooperative play with fewer technical compromises and more seamless drop-in/drop-out experiences.

Larian previously relied on a heavily modified internal engine that evolved from earlier projects. By starting from a more modern baseline, the team can re-architect core systems to handle higher player agency without running into the kinds of technical constraints that often surface late in development.

Design Ambition: Outdoing Baldur’s Gate 3

One striking thread in interviews surrounding the announcement is Larian’s confidence that the new Divinity will ultimately surpass Baldur’s Gate 3. This is a high bar. BG3 has been widely recognized for its systemic quest design, branching storylines, and high replayability, earning numerous Game of the Year awards from major outlets such as The Game Awards and others.⁴

What would it mean to go “beyond” that benchmark? Several design goals seem likely:

Deeper Player Freedom

• More paths through quests: expanding the number of viable non-combat outcomes, stealth approaches, and social resolutions.
• Persistent consequences: choices that ripple across larger portions of the world state, beyond local questlines.
• Enhanced support for chaos: deliberately designing for players who break sequences, kill key NPCs, or exploit systemic interactions.

Larian has long embraced the challenge of “letting players break the game” and then reacting to it with authored content. The studio’s official description of Original Sin 2 highlights the ability to kill any NPC without sacrificing progress, and to resolve situations in unexpected ways.¹ A new engine and ruleset give the designers more space to lean into this philosophy.

Systems That Talk to Each Other

The hallmark of Larian’s design is systemic interplay: elements like fire, water, poison, and electricity interact in consistent, transparent ways. In the new Divinity, we can reasonably expect:

• Expanded elemental and status combinations that respond to terrain, weather, and structures.
• Social systems (reputation, factions, relationships) more tightly integrated with gameplay mechanics.
• Stealth, verticality, and exploration woven into both combat and narrative scenarios.

This direction aligns with broader industry trends toward simulation-driven storytelling, seen in series like Immersive Sims and complex strategy titles where rulesets produce emergent narratives.⁵

Why Turn-Based Still Matters in 2020s RPGs

The popularity of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Original Sin 2 challenged a long-standing assumption that turn-based games are a niche compared to action RPGs. Market data from leading PC platforms has shown strong sales and player engagement for tactical, slower-paced role-playing games, especially when paired with modern production values and accessible onboarding.⁶

Turn-based combat offers distinct advantages for both designers and players:

For Larian, sticking to turn-based is about reinforcing studio identity and serving an audience that has demonstrated strong appetite for this style of game when executed at a high level.

Early Access and Long-Term Development

Larian has openly acknowledged that the new Divinity is a long-term project. Public reporting and studio comments suggest a roadmap loosely similar to Baldur’s Gate 3, with:

• A probable early access phase a few years into development.
• A full release several years later, after multiple major content and systems updates.

Baldur’s Gate 3 itself spent approximately three years in early access before hitting 1.0, with some classes, story arcs, and entire regions added or reworked over time. This model aligns with a broader industry pattern in which complex RPGs, simulation games, and survival titles rely on early access to refine balance and content based on real-world usage data and community feedback.³

For the new Divinity, an early access period would likely be used to:

• Iterate on the new ruleset and combat pacing.
• Gather data on skill trees, difficulty curves, and party compositions.
• Stress-test co-op and systemic interactions that are difficult to fully model internally.

What Players Can Expect in Practice

While detailed feature lists remain under wraps, we can infer several pillars of the experience from Larian’s track record and current statements.

1. A Standalone Story in Rivellon

The narrative is pitched as accessible to new players, suggesting a self-contained story arc. Expect:

• A new cast of main characters (possibly including both custom protagonists and pre-written “origin” companions).
• A major central conflict tied to Rivellon’s cosmology and magic, but framed so that exposition is folded into the main plot rather than front-loaded lore dumps.
• Side stories and factions that nod to earlier games for returning fans.

2. Complex Party Dynamics

Larian’s games are known for companion interactions, party banter, and reactive relationship systems. The new Divinity will likely evolve these with:

• Expanded dialogue systems, potentially with more dynamic reactions to systemic choices.
• Long-term relationship arcs tied to major story beats and player decisions.
• Cooperative multiplayer where each human player can control both their character and their role in party dialogue.

3. Rich Character Building

A custom ruleset gives Larian room to experiment with progression. Possible directions include:

• Hybrid class/skill approaches that allow both archetypes and freeform builds.
• Deeper synergies between physical, magical, and social abilities.
• Reactivity in dialogue and world states based on build choices, beyond traditional skill checks.

FAQ: New Divinity Turn-Based RPG

Is the new Divinity game turn-based or action?

The upcoming Divinity RPG from Larian Studios is confirmed to use turn-based combat, following the direction set by Divinity: Original Sin 1 & 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3. It is not an action RPG.

Does it still use Dungeons & Dragons rules?

No. Unlike Baldur’s Gate 3, which is based on D&D 5th edition, the new Divinity is built on a proprietary ruleset designed by Larian specifically for this game.

Do I need to play previous Divinity games first?

Larian has positioned the project as a standalone entry point. Knowledge of earlier games is not required, though returning players will likely recognize locations, factions, and lore.

Will there be co-op multiplayer?

Although specific modes have not been fully detailed, Larian’s history and comments strongly suggest that cooperative play will continue to be a core feature, much like previous titles.

When will the new Divinity be released?

Exact dates have not been announced. Public reporting points to a multi-year development cycle with a planned early access release first, followed by a full launch later. Timelines may shift as development progresses.

Will the game try to be bigger than Baldur’s Gate 3?

Larian leadership has expressed the ambition for the new Divinity to be an even more advanced and expansive RPG, especially in terms of player freedom, systems depth, and narrative reactivity. Whether it feels “bigger” will depend on both scope and execution.

Why This Matters for CRPG Fans

The announcement of a new, fully turn-based Divinity on a new engine and ruleset signals that the modern CRPG revival is not a one-off phenomenon tied only to D&D branding. If Larian can translate what made Baldur’s Gate 3 resonate—cinematic storytelling, reactive quests, cooperative play—into a universe they control fully, it could broaden the audience for original IP CRPGs and inspire other studios to invest more in similar projects.

For players, the most important takeaway is simple: the next Divinity aims to keep the tactical, choice-driven DNA of Larian’s recent work while discarding external constraints. That combination of freedom and focus is exactly what many fans were hoping to see.