What do you do after making one of the biggest RPGs of the decade?

If you're Larian Studios, apparently, you leave Dungeons & Dragons behind and head into deep space.

After the enormous success of Baldur's Gate 3, expectations for Larian's next game are almost ridiculous. The studio could have returned to another established fantasy franchise and immediately had millions of players interested.

Instead, it's doing something much more dangerous.

Larian is building a completely original sci-fi RPG.

And rather than relying on D&D's familiar rules, the studio is developing its own tabletop-inspired system, complete with custom dice mechanics.

That's a huge departure from Baldur's Gate 3.

It might also be exactly what Larian needs.

From Faerûn to Deep Space

Baldur's Gate 3 gave Larian access to one of the most recognizable fantasy settings in gaming.

Players already knew what a Mind Flayer was. They understood the basics of classes, spells, ability checks and dice rolls.

That familiarity gave Larian a foundation.

Its next game won't have that luxury.

Instead, players will have to learn an entirely new universe.

The project is being developed as an original sci-fi RPG, meaning Larian gets to establish its own characters, factions, history and rules without being tied to an existing tabletop franchise.

That creative freedom could be enormous.

There are no established lore restrictions telling Larian what a species can do or how a particular class should work.

The studio gets to build the entire playground itself.

Why Abandon D&D?

At first, leaving D&D behind might sound strange.

Baldur's Gate 3 was a massive success partly because Larian understood how to translate tabletop D&D into a video game.

But that's also exactly why moving on makes sense.

Larian now knows how powerful a tabletop-inspired RPG system can be.

The next step is creating one from scratch.

Instead of adapting someone else's rulebook, Larian can design mechanics specifically around the kind of RPG it wants to make.

That could mean fewer restrictions and more freedom to experiment.

Want a mechanic that wouldn't make sense in D&D?

Larian doesn't need permission.

Want to completely redesign how character progression works?

It can.

Want a dice system built specifically for a science-fiction setting?

That's exactly what the studio appears to be pursuing.

The Custom Dice System Could Be the Secret Weapon

One of the most interesting parts of the announcement is the emphasis on custom tabletop dice mechanics.

Dice are more than random-number generators in tabletop RPGs.

They create uncertainty.

They make players take risks.

And they can turn a seemingly perfect plan into complete chaos.

That philosophy was a huge part of Baldur's Gate 3.

But creating an original dice system means Larian can potentially take the idea much further.

Imagine a sci-fi RPG where different technologies, characters or environmental conditions influence how your dice behave.

A hacking attempt could have its own risk system.

A dangerous space jump could involve multiple outcomes.

A negotiation could depend on more than simply passing or failing a traditional skill check.

The important part isn't necessarily the dice themselves.

It's how Larian uses randomness to create stories.

The Post-Baldur's Gate 3 Problem

There is another reason this project is so fascinating.

Larian has a problem that many studios would love to have:

Baldur's Gate 3 was too successful.

The game won major awards, attracted millions of players and became a benchmark for modern RPG design.

That creates enormous pressure.

If Larian simply made Baldur's Gate 4, comparisons would be unavoidable.

Every mechanic would be judged against Baldur's Gate 3.

Every companion would be compared with its predecessors.

Every narrative decision would invite the same question:

“Is this as good as Baldur's Gate 3?”

A brand-new universe gives Larian some breathing room.

It can evolve without constantly trying to recreate its previous success.

Original Worlds Mean Bigger Risks

Of course, there is a downside.

People already cared about the Baldur's Gate universe before Larian released its game.

A new IP doesn't have that advantage.

Players need to understand the world, care about its characters and learn its terminology from scratch.

That is a much harder sell.

But it also means Larian has something it didn't fully control before:

complete ownership of the creative direction.

The studio can decide what the universe looks like, how its factions work and what kind of stories it wants to tell.

For a developer known for giving players enormous freedom, that could be incredibly important.

What This Means for RPGs

Larian's next project could have an impact beyond the studio itself.

Baldur's Gate 3 demonstrated that there is a huge audience for complex RPG systems, meaningful choices and reactive storytelling.

A new sci-fi game with an original tabletop-style ruleset could push that idea even further.

Instead of asking how video games can adapt tabletop RPGs, Larian can ask a more interesting question:

What would a modern video game RPG look like if its rules were designed from scratch around tabletop principles?

That's where this project becomes particularly exciting.

The studio isn't simply changing the setting.

It's potentially rebuilding the foundation.

What Happens Next?

The biggest mystery is just how much Larian is willing to reveal.

A new universe means the studio can spend years developing its lore before players see the finished product.

Fans will likely be watching for details about:

• The game's setting and factions
• Character creation
• The custom dice system
• Combat and exploration
• Multiplayer features
• How much player choice affects the story

And there is one particularly important question.

How does Larian follow Baldur's Gate 3 without simply making another Baldur's Gate 3?

Its answer appears to be: don't.

Build something completely different.

🎮 The Bottom Line

Larian Studios could have played it safe.

Instead, it appears to be taking the biggest possible step away from Baldur's Gate 3: a completely original sci-fi universe with its own tabletop-inspired rules.

That's risky.

But it's also incredibly Larian.

The studio proved that complicated systems can become mainstream entertainment when they're wrapped inside a world players genuinely care about.

Now it gets to create that world from scratch.

The real question isn't whether Larian can make another great RPG. We already know it can. The question is what happens when one of the industry's best RPG developers gets to write its own rulebook.

What do you think? Would you rather see Larian return to fantasy, or are you excited to see the studio build an entirely new sci-fi RPG universe?