Larian Says Treating Players With Intellectual Respect Was Central to Divinity’s Reveal at TGA 2025
Despite being a CGI only reveal with no gameplay shown, Larian Studios’ announcement of Divinity stood out as one of the defining moments of The Game Awards 2025. The trailer immediately set expectations high, not only by signaling a project positioned to surpass Baldur’s Gate 3 in scale, but also by embracing dark and mature themes without hesitation.
According to Larian, that creative direction was deliberate. The studio was not attempting to shock its audience, but rather to meet it at an intellectual level that respects player maturity and interpretive ability. This philosophy was publicly reinforced by Larian Publishing Director Michael Douse in a response shared on X by Michael Douse, where he explained that treating the audience with intellectual respect was a recurring topic throughout the planning of Divinity’s reveal.
The phrase "treating the audience with a level of intellectual respect" came up a lot in planning. It is about trying to shock them, it's about trying to match their powers of comprehension so that it resonates. We know people are capable of appreciating a three dimensional world
— Very AFK (@Cromwelp) December 14, 2025
Douse emphasized that the goal was not provocation for its own sake. Instead, the team wanted the tone and subject matter to resonate by matching the audience’s capacity for comprehension and emotional engagement. He noted that players are fully capable of appreciating layered narratives and three dimensional worlds, and that the trailer was designed to reflect that belief rather than dilute it for broader appeal.
This approach is consistent with Larian’s long standing design philosophy. In previous titles such as Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3, morally complex and outright evil playthroughs are not treated as novelty paths or lesser options. Instead, they are crafted with the same narrative care and mechanical depth as heroic routes, often offering unique consequences and perspectives that enrich the overall experience. The success of Baldur’s Gate 3 does not appear to have shifted this mindset. If anything, Divinity’s reveal suggests that Larian is doubling down on its commitment to nuanced storytelling and player driven moral agency.
Divinity also marks Larian Studios’ return to the franchise after Divinity Original Sin 2, which launched in 2017 across PC and consoles. While the studio has a deep history with the Divinity universe, this new entry is being framed as more than just a continuation. Larian chief executive officer Swen Vincke has described the project as the beginning of something with greater breadth, depth, and intimacy than anything the studio has created before, calling it the Divinity they have always wanted to make.
Although concrete gameplay details remain under wraps, the messaging around Divinity’s reveal paints a clear picture of Larian’s priorities. The studio appears intent on delivering a darker, more mature role playing experience that challenges players intellectually and emotionally, rather than simplifying its themes to maximize mass appeal.
For fans of Larian’s previous work, this reassurance may be just as important as promises of a bigger world or more complex systems. Divinity is shaping up to be not only a technical and narrative evolution, but also a reaffirmation of the studio’s core belief that players deserve stories that respect their intelligence.
Do you think darker and more morally complex themes are essential for modern RPGs, or should studios aim for broader accessibility instead?
