Swen Vincke says you don’t have to play the older Divinity games before the new one
Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke told GamesRadar+ that the older Divinity titles are “a bit outdated” and not required prep for the studio’s new Divinity project unless a player wants the backstory.
Vincke said the events from the earlier games show up as references in the new Divinity, but that they function more like a historical record than a necessary primer. He singled out Original Sin 2 as still worth playing if someone is drawn to tactical combat, co-op, or the freedom that informed Baldur’s Gate 3‘s design. The first Original Sin is useful too, he added, but to a lesser degree because it lacked the same companion systems.
The founder also noted that Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Divinity games live in different universes, Faerûn versus Larian’s own Rivellon, but they share creative DNA. That means studio design choices carried over from one series to another even if the settings are separate. Vincke has been active on social media recently and promised an AMA to answer player questions about Larian’s practices and tools going forward. That conversation may provide more context on the studio’s thinking and how the new Divinity connects to its past.
You can jump into the new Divinity without prior experience and still follow the story. If a player enjoys tactical combat or co-op systems, Original Sin 2 remains the closest earlier example worth playing first. Follow coverage of the new Divinity and Larian’s updates on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
