Gaming News News Larian Shares New Details on the Next Divinity: Co-op, Chaotic Quests, and Folk Horror

Larian Shares New Details on the Next Divinity: Co-op, Chaotic Quests, and Folk Horror

January 9, 2026, 05:59 PM January 9, 2026, 05:59 PM

Background: Larian Studios Announces AMA Session Dedicated to the New Divinity

As promised, Larian Studios held a Reddit AMA focused on their upcoming Divinity RPG, first announced at TGA 2025 last December.

Here’s what we know so far:

The team has grown to over 500 people—by comparison, Baldur's Gate 3 had 411 developers at its production peak;
Co-op will be available at launch, though the final player limit is still under discussion. Official mod support is planned, so group size caps can potentially be increased with mods. The status of the modding tools is still being worked out;
Larian won’t use generative AI for concept art. Following recent controversies, the studio is taking a cautious approach: they’re researching the tech, but only as a supplemental tool. If AI is used for asset creation, it’ll be trained exclusively on Larian’s own data. All writing will be done by humans—writers rated AI experiments just 3/10;
The character creator will be much deeper than in past Larian titles. Some playable races were teased in the announcement trailer, but many remain under wraps;
Loot will follow BG3’s approach: minimal randomization, with most items hand-placed and thoughtfully designed;
There are no plans for WASD movement controls;
The overall vibe leans into folk horror—a subgenre that draws on folklore—but the tone won’t be grim throughout. Expect both tense moments and humor;
The story is set 100 years after Divinity: Original Sin 2, continuing the world’s narrative without directly repeating past conflicts;
The game runs on Larian’s proprietary engine, which is being heavily updated and modernized for new features;
The camera system is identical to Baldur’s Gate 3—no experiments here;
Platforms: Steam Deck support is in the works, and a Switch 2 release is being considered;
A major new gameplay mechanic, missing from all previous Larian RPGs (DOS1, DOS2, BG3), will debut in the new Divinity. Details are secret, but it’ll allow players to do things that weren’t possible before and will be a core innovation;
Magic armor from DOS2 won’t return. Instead, a new defense system is being developed that won’t block skill usage on enemies from the start of combat;
Character progression and action economy have been completely reworked, drawing on lessons from DOS1, DOS2, and BG3;
No more D&D 5E limitations—the new Divinity is being designed as a video game RPG from the ground up;
Role-playing freedom and consequences will be deeper than ever, with an emphasis on player choice, systems, and a world that truly reacts to your actions;
The statue shown in the announcement was a deliberate misdirection to prevent leaks and keep the team’s spirits high;
The game’s narrative is built for “chaotic” playthroughs. Larian is intentionally testing quests out of order and trying to break them in every way possible, ensuring the game responds to unconventional player actions and rewards those who stray far from the main path;
Companions will have more complex, dynamic relationships—not just with the player, but with each other, including more natural romance arcs;
Development is in full swing, but there’s no gameplay reveal date yet;
Physics will play a much bigger role in future Larian games, with major improvements planned;
The new gameplay mechanic mentioned by the lead designer will be available from the very start—it’s something he always wished was in the opening areas of previous Larian RPGs. Details are still under wraps;
Larian’s development philosophy remains unchanged: they’re making Divinity first and foremost as a game they themselves want to play.

It was previously revealed that the next Divinity will be darker, larger in scale, and offer even more player freedom than Baldur’s Gate 3.

PC Xbox Series X/S PS5 Divinity: Original Sin News Baldur's Gate 3 News Divinity: Original Sin 2 News Gaming News News Larian Studios Reddit

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Hennadiy Chemеris

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Gaming Journalist. I have been writing news for VGTimes since 2015 on a variety of topics including not only games but also movies, anime, cosplay, cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence, memes, and social media. I am also the author of several reviews, top lists, compilations, and other articles related to video games. I collect various gamer memorabilia, including figurines, posters, old consoles, and more. I have a keen interest in retro gaming. I have been gaming since the early 2000s on both PC and consoles.

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