David Gaider, lead writer of the Dragon Age series, has moved from Bioware to Beamdog and is leading a team of writers there. Is a Baldur’s Gate 3 or a Baldur’s Gate Online coming?
How do we come to the conclusion that such a game could be developed? Beamdog owns the rights to the Baldur’s Gate series. They are currently working on a new game titled Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, which is set between the games Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn. Trent Oster, founder of the development studio, has previously stated that he would like to develop a real third installment. Now David Gaider, the former lead writer of the Dragon Age series, joins the team and works there as Creative Director, a position in which he leads a team of writers.
A new Baldur’s Gate?
All of this suggests that a new game in the Baldur’s Gate series could be in planning. However, the suspicion that it is a single-player RPG is very likely. The focus seems to be on story with Gaider on the team. However, there could very well be more behind it. Unless a studio hits a big success or operates on a small budget, which often comes with less impressive graphics, it is particularly difficult for smaller studios to sustain themselves with single-player games. An online component would therefore be quite conceivable and sensible.
Perhaps not an MMO but an online RPG
That it is a true MMORPG is rather doubtful, as the production costs are extremely high, just like the risk. However, there is a possibility of creating a Baldur’s Gate Online similar to Richard Garriott’s Shroud of the Avatar. There would then be a standard single-player mode that could be played offline and alone but also an online mode.
In this mode, friends would take on the role of party members, and there might even be an “open” zone where housing and trading with other players exist. This possibility is conceivable. However, whether there is even a new Baldur’s Gate in planning remains to be announced by Beamdog; until then, everything is speculation.
Andreas thinks: David Gaider at Beamdog can only mean that they are planning a large RPG for me. Gaider is known for his engaging stories in the Dragon Age games, and he is simply someone who enjoys crafting narratives. I also consider it likely that it could be a Baldur’s Gate 3, and that it might even have an online component is absolutely conceivable. I am already excited to see what the future will bring.
