Baldur’s Gate 3 Was Secretly Teased in Divinity Original Sin 2
Larian Studios’ critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3 was actually teased years before its official announcement, hidden within the developer’s previous game Divinity Original Sin 2. According to recent revelations from the studio, the original Easter egg reference was so obvious that developers had to water it down before release. Larian CEO and Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke shared this information during a studio livestream, explaining how the subtle hint was almost much more explicit. The revelation provides fascinating insight into how developers plant seeds for future projects within their current games.
During the livestream, communications developer Aoife Wilson brought up the Divinity Original Sin 2 necromancer who mentions going to “another world.” Vincke confirmed this was indeed a preview of Baldur’s Gate 3, stating that “originally the reference to BG3 was very explicit” and eventually had to be “reigned in a little bit.” The developers made this change very last minute before Divinity Original Sin 2 shipped. This deliberate hint was planted while Larian was already working on the first draft of Baldur’s Gate 3, having secured a contract with rights holder Wizards of the Coast.
The connections between the two games extend beyond the vague mention of another world. As noted by community members, Divinity Original Sin 2 contains several subtle Dungeons & Dragons references that foreshadowed Baldur’s Gate 3’s themes. The game features an item called Mind Maggots, which are essentially brain-mutating tadpoles similar to those central to Baldur’s Gate 3’s storyline. Additionally, there are references to the Grand Design and plotting octopuses, which are clear nods to mind flayers, the iconic D&D antagonists that play a major role in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Vincke revealed that the first draft of Baldur’s Gate 3 was written in the summer when Divinity Original Sin 2 shipped, describing that initial version as “very bad.” This timeline shows how early Larian began planning their next major project. The CEO also suggested that players looking for clues about Larian’s upcoming Divinity game should examine Baldur’s Gate 3 closely, as there may be similar hidden references pointing to future projects. This practice of embedding subtle hints about upcoming games appears to be a deliberate creative strategy at Larian Studios, creating an interconnected web of references for observant players to discover.
