Baldur's Gate 3 has become a prime example of how industry standards need to change. As a single-player game with no microtransactions, several big content updates, and open communication from Larian, Baldur's Gate 3 stands out from AAA-developed games that exist to earn money through multiplayer and paid updates. Despite its unconventional approach, it's been at the top of Steam's player charts for several years and continues to grow, proving that gamers want single-player games and that games don't need microtransactions to succeed.
Unfortunately, Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 was the last major content update for it, and Larian is moving on to other projects. Larian is likely not to be developing Baldur's Gate 4, as its license was returned to Wizards of the Coast. As of May 2025, no game developer is known to have the license for the Baldur's Gate property. The gap between Baldur's Gate 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 is very likely to be repeated once again with the wait for Baldur's Gate 4. However, there may be a silver lining to the long wait.
Baldur's Gate 3: Where to Get Tongue of Madness (& How to Use Them)
If you need alchemical ingredients, or if you need to finish Omeluum's quest, here's where you can get Tongues of Madness in BG3.
Baldur's Gate 3 Took Nearly 23 Years to Arrive
The Baldur's Gate franchise was in a similar situation after the release of Baldur's Gate 2: Shadow of Amn. After developing and releasing Baldur's Gate 2, BioWare turned to other projects, and there was a gap of nearly 23 years between the release of Baldur's Gate 2 and Baldur's Gate 3. The long wait was partially because there was no video game studio with the license to develop Baldur's Gate 3, and when Larian acquired it, it took a further seven years of development to release Baldur's Gate 3, including three years in early access.
The State of Baldur's Gate in 2025
With the Baldur's Gate license not in the hands of a video game developer, it seems likely that it'll be some time before Baldur's Gate 4 is released. As video games become bigger and more complex, they take longer than ever to develop, with some taking a decade or more. It's likely that Baldur's Gate 4 could be at least a decade away, even with the success of Baldur's Gate 3.
WotC Might Develop Another Property During the Wait for Baldur's Gate 4
If Baldur's Gate 4 does take many years to release, it may follow another pattern that has better news for players. In the aftermath of Baldur's Gate 2 came the spin-off games Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2, which were released in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Both games were set in the Forgotten Realms and feature Baldur's Gate, alongside landmarks such as the Elfsong Tavern and the sewers that run beneath Baldur's Gate. 2021 saw the release of Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance, which was not well-received because of its repetition and shallow storytelling, despite being based on the popular Icewind Dale novels and TTRPG campaign.
However, there is no reason that a Dark Alliance spin-off more closely aligned with Baldur's Gate 3, such as the original two games, couldn't be popular. The original Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was well-received both critically and by gamers. With Baldur's Gate 3 providing a new standard for the Forgotten Realms, and proving that single-player, turn-based games are viable, a Dark Alliance spin-off could help make the long wait for Baldur's Gate 4 more bearable. While a new Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game doesn't have to include the characters from Baldur's Gate 3, it could be set in the same time period, make reference to the events of Baldur's Gate 3, and possibly include popular Baldur's Gate 3 NPCs. It could also be a chance to dive deeper into factions such as the Bhaal cult and the Harpers.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
