Don't worry, the next Baldur's Gate shouldn't be over 20 years away, even if it won't come from Larian
It also sounds like Wizards of the Coast would at least consider bringing back some beloved Baldur's Gate 3 characters.
So, we've all had time to come to terms with the fact that Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian isn’t doing any DLC for the game, or a Baldur’s Gate 4, or anything to do with D&D in the near future, even if those things might once have been on the cards. The good news is that Wizards of the Coast, which controls the IP, already looks to be in talks with folks who aren't Larian about what the next game in the series might look like.
Before you go and start getting ally hyped up, it sounds like it'll be a while until we actually see any new BG things actually materialise. Though, it's nice to know that you hopefully won't have aged over twenty years by the time they do arrive, assuming they, you know, actually do that.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Eugene Evans, the senior vice president of digital strategy and licensing for Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro - which owns the IP - offered a bit of insight into where Baldur's Gate's future currently stands.
“We're now talking to lots of partners and being approached by a lot of partners who are embracing the challenge of, what does the future of the Baldur's Gate franchise look like?", Evans said. "So, we certainly hope that it's not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur's Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that. But, we're going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur's Gate."
So, there you go, nothing big yet, but things look to be pointing the direction of more Baldur's Gate things coming before we all start to really hit old age. As to what these might look like, Evans did also touch on what might become of Baldur's Gate 3's much beloved gang of companions - which were obviously created by Larian, but will be sticking with the IP as the developer moves on to other stuff.
Asked about what might happen to them, Evans confirmed that "they are now essentially part of D&D canon". "I think it's too early to express specifics and I think that there's a much bigger question about how we approach Baldur's Gate in the future," he added, "but, I would like to think that all of those characters, for the sake of the fans, could potentially appear in future products."
So, nothing concrete, but the door at least seems open for now when it comes to Astarion, Lae'zel, and that lad with the magical nuclear bomb in his chest.