Larian Studios Reveals New Divinity Project Details in AMA

Following the record-breaking success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios has officially pulled back the curtain on its next grand adventure. In a Reddit AMA held on January 9, 2026, Game Director Swen Vincke and a panel of lead developers confirmed that the studio is returning to its roots with their upcoming large-scale Divinity title—and they are bringing the high-production lessons of the Forgotten Realms back to the world of Rivellon.

Here is everything we learned about the upcoming project, which marks a significant shift in Larian’s design philosophy.

The Return to a “Large-Scale” Vision

Early in the development cycle, Swen Vincke had suggested that Larian’s next project might be smaller in scope to avoid burnout. However, during the AMA, Vincke confirmed those plans have changed.

“That was back when we were thinking of another D&D game, but that ship has sailed,” Vincke told fans. The new Divinity project is now described as a flagship RPG, utilizing the full weight of the studio’s expanded global team.

Death to the Armor System

The most significant gameplay revelation was the confirmed removal of the Physical/Magic Armor system from Divinity: Original Sin 2. While a staple of their previous work, the “two-bar” system often forced players to focus on a single damage type. The new title will feature a completely overhauled combat ruleset that combines elements of DOS2 and Baldur’s Gate 3, aiming for more fluid, tactical encounters without the rigid barrier of armor points.

Additionally, Larian is abandoning the randomized “diablo-style” loot of previous Divinity games. Following the success of BG3, the new game will feature handcrafted magic items, ensuring that every unique sword or robe found in a hidden chest has a specific name, history, and tailored mechanical utility.

The “BG3-ification” of Rivellon

Fans wondering if the new Divinity would return to the “classic” isometric look received a clear answer: the production values are staying sky-high. The game will feature:

• High-End Cinematics: Full cinematic cutscenes for dialogues and major story beats, replacing the traditional text-box-over-head approach.
• Hybrid Camera: A flexible system allowing for both traditional top-down tactical views and a close-up third-person perspective.
• Rivellon Reimagined: While the game is a standalone story, it is set in the established Divinity universe, aiming to reconcile the deep lore of the series for both veterans and newcomers.

Solving the “Co-op Conversation” Problem

One of the most frequent complaints in Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity was the “wrong” character accidentally triggering a conversation, leading to a low-Charisma fighter trying to navigate a delicate political negotiation.

Larian confirmed they are developing a shared dialogue system for the new game. This will allow multiple party members to chime in during a single conversation, letting the Bard take over for the Barbarian mid-stream, or allowing the group to make decisions collectively in a way that feels more like a true tabletop experience.

Embracing Chaos

Writing Director Adam Smith highlighted the team’s narrative philosophy as “embracing the chaos.” Smith noted that the writing team is specifically designing quests to be broken, encouraging players to kill “essential” NPCs or complete objectives in a completely “wrong” order.

“The greatest joy I get is seeing somebody go so far off the beaten path that they assume we’ll have lost track of them,” Smith said, “and then they stumble across something that we put there just for them.”

What’s Next?

While no official title or release date was provided, the presence of a Machine Learning Director on the panel suggests Larian is pushing the boundaries of technical animation and world-building. Long-time collaborator Boris Slavov is also confirmed to return as the game’s composer.

Swen Vincke closed the session on a high note, stating that the team is now heading back into “dark mode” to focus on production. “Next time we speak, we’ll hopefully have things to show. I can’t wait!”

Here’s the rest of the AMA that you may find interesting:

Core Gameplay & Mechanics

• Armor System Overhaul: The Magic/Physical armor system from Divinity: Original Sin 2 has been removed. The developers are implementing a new system to handle damage and status effects that moves away from the “two-bar” system.
• Handcrafted Loot: Moving away from the randomized RNG loot of Original Sin, the new game will follow the Baldur’s Gate 3 approach of handcrafted magic items with unique properties and lore.
• Camera System: The game will feature a hybrid camera (isometric top-down and 3rd-person) similar to the system used in Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Movement: WASD movement is currently not planned for launch, though the team is taking notes from popular UI and control mods.
• Cinematics: The game will utilize high-production cinematic cutscenes for dialogues and major story moments, departing from the standard isometric dialogue boxes of previous Divinity titles.

Narrative & Setting

• Continuity: The game is set in Rivellon (the Divinity universe) and is a standalone story. It aims to reconcile lore/continuity but does not require knowledge of previous games.
• “Embracing Chaos”: Writing Director Adam Smith emphasized a philosophy of “embracing chaos,” where players are encouraged to break sequences and solve problems in ways the developers didn’t explicitly script.
• Origin System: While not explicitly named “Dark Urge,” the team expressed a desire to continue the “customizable-but-unique” origin style that allows players to have a personalized character deeply tied to the world’s lore.
• Environment: The “everything burns” philosophy remains. Terrain, NPCs, and spells are all hazards, with a heavy emphasis on environmental interaction (fire, oil, poison, etc.).

Multiplayer & Co-op Improvements

• Conversation Participation: Larian is specifically addressing the “wrong character in the conversation” issue. They are working on a system that allows multiple party members to participate or switch in during a dialogue, rather than locking the interaction to whoever clicked the NPC first.
• Launch Features: Co-op will be available at launch.

Development & Technical Details

• AI & Machine Learning: Gabriel (Machine Learning Director) was part of the AMA, indicating that Larian is utilizing machine learning tools in their development process, though they faced some community questions regarding the ethical use of AI.
• Optimization: The team is heavily focused on RAM optimization and automated testing (TDD) to handle the extreme number of permutations possible in their systems.
• Composer: Boris Slavov is confirmed to be returning as the composer.

Key Inspirations Mentioned

• Games: The Séance of Blake Manor was cited for its unique storytelling structure.
• Literature: The Chatelaine (Kate Heartfield) and The Indifferent Stars Above (Daniel James Brown).