Owlcat Would Consider Baldur’s Gate 4 but Warns Against Copying Larian

Owlcat Games has expressed interest in the challenge of developing Baldur’s Gate 4, although the studio believes any future sequel must establish its own identity instead of attempting to reproduce the formula behind Baldur’s Gate 3. Owlcat co founder Alexander Mishulin described the possibility as a significant honor after players increasingly identified the studio as a potential successor to Larian Studios.

"We would consider it a great challenge."
— Quote by: Alexander Mishulin.

Speaking with IGN, Mishulin explained that Baldur’s Gate 3 represents Larian’s specific interpretation of Dungeons and Dragons, combining tactical combat, extensive cooperative systems, environmental interaction, cinematic storytelling, and years of experience developing the Divinity series. He argued that another studio would be unlikely to succeed by copying that design structure directly.

"Any studio trying to replicate that is bound to fail."
— Quote by: Alexander Mishulin.

Mishulin believes the developer eventually selected for Baldur’s Gate 4 should create its own interpretation of the setting, supported by its established design philosophy and role playing expertise. An Owlcat developed entry would therefore likely resemble the studio’s work on Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader more than a direct continuation of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Owlcat has developed a strong reputation for complex character systems, extensive dialogue, branching decisions, tactical combat, and detailed adaptations of established tabletop universes. The studio currently employs around 600 people and is developing Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy alongside its first third person role playing game, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. It has also confirmed that additional projects are in early development and that discussions with several intellectual property owners remain active.

However, Mishulin’s comments do not confirm that Owlcat has received an offer from Wizards of the Coast or entered negotiations to develop Baldur’s Gate 4. The sequel remains officially unannounced, and no developer, production schedule, platform lineup, or release window has been revealed.

The challenge surrounding the project has become increasingly visible since Larian confirmed it would leave the Baldur’s Gate franchise and return to its own Divinity universe. Baldur’s Gate 2 veteran James Ohlen previously declined an opportunity to lead a sequel because he considered competing against Baldur’s Gate 3 an unreasonable creative risk. His decision demonstrated how Baldur’s Gate 3 has become both the franchise’s greatest success and its largest obstacle.

Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah has suggested that Wizards of the Coast could license Larian’s Divinity Engine and develop Baldur’s Gate 4 as an oversized expansion to the previous game. However, the latest version of Larian’s technology remains proprietary, and the studio has shown no public indication that it intends to license the engine to another developer.

Larian is instead focusing on a new Divinity game, which the studio describes as its largest and most ambitious role playing project. Owlcat has similarly expressed a long term desire to create an original franchise, although the company previously said such a project was not yet on its immediate development roadmap.

Owlcat may be one of the most qualified studios to handle Baldur’s Gate 4, but Mishulin is correct that copying Larian would create an impossible comparison. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded because its systems, engine, cinematic presentation, cooperative structure, and writing were developed around Larian’s identity.

An Owlcat sequel would probably offer denser character building, deeper tabletop mechanics, more complex progression, and a different presentation style. That approach could divide players expecting another cinematic experience, but it would also give Baldur’s Gate 4 a reason to exist beyond repeating its predecessor.

Wizards of the Coast should select a developer based on creative compatibility rather than expecting another studio to reproduce Larian’s work. The strongest sequel would respect Baldur’s Gate 3 while confidently becoming something different.

Should Owlcat develop Baldur’s Gate 4 using its own role playing formula, or should Wizards of the Coast search for a studio closer to Larian’s design style?