New ‘Baldur’s Gate’ is in Development; More Details This Spring

[RoadWarrior]

It’s been ten years since Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II hit the Xbox and PlayStation 2. It’s been even longer since Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, the last traditional role-playing game in the venerated Baldur’s Gate series, graced home PCs. HD remakes of the original games and an ever-growing collection of user-created mods might have kept the franchise alive, but despite rumors Baldur’s Gate III is nowhere to be found.

Now, finally, a new Baldur’s Gate game is on the way – just don’t call it a sequel. Digital game distributor BeamDog (who owns Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition developer Overhaul Games) confirmed that a brand-new installment in the series is in the works. However, instead of pushing the series’ “Bhaalspawn Saga” forward, the new title will fill in the gap between the original Baldur’s Gate and its sequel.

BeamDog is very clear that the new title, codenamed Adventure Y, shouldn’t be considered Baldur’s Gate III. Adventure Y uses the same updated version of BioWare‘s Infinity Engine that the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Editions did; this means the game’s underlying mechanics will be based on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition, and not the more contemporary 5th edition ruleset. BeamDog acknowledges that a game based on AD&D 5th edition could happen in the future, but as of right now, a true Baldur’s Gate sequel isn’t in development.

Still, BeamDog seems fairly excited about Adventure Y, and promises that more information is coming this spring. BeamDog is planning something special for the game’s release – something “bigger than [it's] ever done before” – although the studio declined to share any further details.

BeamDog “leaked” a few small, blurry images of the game, confirming that Adventure Y is indeed a Baldur’s Gate title, with the same top-down isometric view and medieval fantasy trappings fans have come to love. Adventure Y may not be the full-fledged sequel that fans have been clamoring for, but it certainly looks like it’ll make the wait until Baldur’s Gate III‘s inevitable release a little easier to bare.

In the same update, BeamDog also revealed “Adventure Z,” which is also called Project: Beartrap. BeamDog promises that this additional title is a different from what the company has done in the past, implying that it’s not part of the Baldur’s Gate universe, although the company’s blog teased that the game “might involve sharks.” More information on Adventure Z is coming later this summer.

The new Baldur’s Gate game will come out sometime in 2015. PC and Mac versions seem like a given, and there’s a possibility that the game will see iOS and Android releases as well.