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Baldur's Gate 3 was, for lack of a better term, a game-changing moment for both Dungeons & Dragons and the Baldur's Gate franchise as a whole. The studio behind Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios, has been credited with the game's high quality, immense narrative detail, and replayability. And while Larian Studios has announced that they will not be developing a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3, considering that they spent 6 years working on the third entry in the franchise, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro are still confident that Baldur's Gate 4 will deliver on fans' high expectations. 

In an interview with Knowledge, Wizards of the Coast president John Hight said, "Great games come from the vision of a creator or a team, right? And [with] everything that we do, it isn't the [IP's] name, it isn't the [Hasbro] brands that are going to carry the game. It gets you in the door, because there's something familiar about it. That's why I think we're seeing a lot of players gravitating towards sequels and known brands; the most precious thing they have is their time. It's difficult to get new IP launched today. We have very recognizable brands, but it's the gameplay that's going to keep them."

So while Larian Studios will not be behind Baldur's Gate 4, Wizards of the Coast does have an understanding that a rock-solid brand reputation can only get them so far in today's competitive market. To speak plainly as a huge Baldur's Gate 3 fan, I'm feeling more confident about a Larian-less Baldur's Gate 4 now because Hight at least is aware of the fact that good games are a result of the creative vision of their development team, alongside a sense of execution.  

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