Baldur's Gate 4 and Giant Skull's Dungeons and Dragons game will be as unrelated to each other as two projects based on the same IP can be, Wizards of the Coast President John Hight suggested in a recent interview. Other takeaways from his new media appearance include an indirect dismissal of one recent rumor about the Baldur's Gate 3 sequel, as well as some additional insights into Wizards of the Coast's current D&D video game strategy.
In April 2024, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast announced that they were proceeding with plans to make Baldur's Gate 4 without Larian, the developer of the widely acclaimed third entry in the franchise. Larian CEO Swen Vincke later said the studio’s goal in taking on an external license was to gain recognition and creative freedom to develop big-budget original IPs, so its decision to do something else after Baldur's Gate 3 was a natural next step rather than a sudden change of direction for the company. The announcement has sparked ongoing speculation over which studio will take on the monumental task of following Larian’s award-winning title.
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Giant Skull Isn't Making Baldur's Gate 4
In a recent interview with The Game Business, Wizards of the Coast President John Hight dismissed the theory about Giant Skull working on Baldur's Gate 4. The studio led by former Star Wars Jedi: Survivor director Stig Asmussen announced a Dungeons and Dragons game in mid-2025, which Hight suggests is its only project right now. "Baldur’s Gate [3] is an incredible game; and of course, we're going to do a successor," the executive said. "This [Giant Skull project] is not the successor to that game."
Speculation about Giant Skull’s potential involvement in Baldur’s Gate 4 largely arose from the studio’s designation as a AAA developer when it was formed following a split from Respawn Entertainment. Whatever form Baldur’s Gate 4 ultimately takes, it is widely expected to be another big-budget title, and there is a limited number of studios capable of tackling projects at that scale that also have an established relationship with Wizards of the Coast.
Giant Skull's D&D Game Will Target a Broader Audience Than Baldur's Gate 4
Regardless, Wizards of the Coast has different plans for Giant Skull. "We go to Stig and his team to tell an incredible story and bring D&D to a very broad audience," Hight explained. As such, the yet-untitled project is meant to continue the publisher's push toward expanding Dungeons and Dragons beyond its existing fan base. Assuming Baldur's Gate 4 remains a CRPG like the first three entries in the franchise, it will inevitably target a narrower audience than Giant Skull's game, which is described as an action adventure.
Baldur’s Gate [3] is an incredible game; and of course, we're going to do a successor. This [Giant Skull project] is not the successor to that game.
Wizards of the Coast has yet to provide a timeline for Giant Skull's first game. However, considering the average length of modern AAA development cycles and the fact that the studio was only formed in 2024, it's plausible that the mysterious title won't release before 2029 at the earliest. Baldur's Gate 4 may arrive even later, especially since Wizards of the Coast may still be in the process of picking a studio for the project.
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
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Genre(s)
- RPG
