Baldur’s Gate III dev almost pitched a new Fallout game

It seems like fate that Larian Studios, the minds behind the sword-and-sorcery Divinity: Original Sin franchise, found its way into Baldur’s Gate, but it could have easily been a completely different fan-favorite franchise: Fallout.

Speaking with Edge Magazine, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke revealed that Baldur’s Gate III was one of only a handful of titles it considered at the time. However, it also considered making pitches for a new Ultima or Fallout.

Ultimately, Larian went with Baldur’s Gate III, as the franchise was languishing following the closure of Black Isle Studios. Svicke tells Edge it was a franchise he knew would get plenty of traction, saying Baldur’s Gate was “one of those IPs that you know a lot of people will want to work on.”

Still, it is bittersweet to imagine a world where Larian could apply that same love and care Baldur’s Gate got to a new Fallout. As I write this, I am on the cusp of finishing Baldur’s Gate III (finally!), and I am losing my mind thinking about how great this world-building would be for a Fallout game. Baldur’s Gate nailed exploration, world-building, and party dynamics in a way that fans have been begging Fallout to for years.

Tapping the people who made the biggest RPG in the world to create a new Fallout seems like a no-brainer. The franchise is bigger than ever thanks to the success of the Prime Video series, and it sure sounds like Fallout 5 is a very, very long way away. Given all the ways Microsoft is struggling to justify raising prices and creating new Game Pass tiers, a new Fallout would go a long way to earning back some goodwill.

Unfortunately, we’re not likely to get something as majestic as a Larian Studios-developed Fallout. The previous third-party swing at a Fallout game, Fallout: New Vegas, is hailed as one of the best entries in the storied franchise, but Bethesda seems reluctant to let another company work on Fallout again. It came to light just last year that Bethesda had rejected multiple pitches for spin-offs for both Fallout and The Elder Scrolls from New Vegas dev Obsidian Entertainment.

For now, you’ll have to make do with the various fan projects, like Fallout: London (assuming it isn’t broken again by an update) or this gorgeous concept for Fallout in Unreal Engine 5. That, or hope modders slap a coat of Fallout paint on Baldur’s Gate.