In a recent interview, Larian Studios’ art director Alena Dubrovina revealed that the visual style of Baldur’s Gate 3 underwent significant changes during development. Initially conceived with a vibrant, cartoonish aesthetic reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons illustrations, the team ultimately shifted gears to create the critically acclaimed look players know today.

We changed directions at least twice. And these weren’t just minor tweaks—each shift was a complete overhaul.

The first iteration leaned heavily into a comic-book-inspired design, aligning closely with the illustrative style of classic D&D materials. However, after early testing, the developers decided to pivot toward a more realistic presentation while retaining a degree of stylization.

Even this approach didn’t fully satisfy the team. During the creation of cutscenes, it became evident that while they were heading in the right direction, something still felt off. As Dubrovina admitted, the studio lacked a clear vision during pre-production, relying instead on experimentation and exploration.

We were just trying things out. We wanted to create something cool but didn’t exactly know what that ‘something’ was.

Through trial and error, Larian eventually struck a delicate balance between realism and stylization—a decision that paid off immensely. The final result earned Baldur’s Gate 3 widespread acclaim, numerous awards, and a devoted player base.

Main image: reddit.com

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