Obsidian Entertainment released Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire in May 2018, and has not provided any news about another sequel to the Pillars series since then. Now, studio design director Josh Sawyer has said that he would like to develop Pillars of Eternity 3 – provided the game gets the same budget as Baldur’s Gate 3.
In a video interview with Touch the lanes Regarding Pentiment’s anniversary, Sawyer said that although he loved the first two Pillars games, he would love to make Pillars 3 if there were no time or budget constraints. However, the same was not said for Pentiment 2.
“I don’t think I’ll be making Pentiment 2. I’m really feeling very satisfied with that game. It’s not like I never want to go back to it, but I just did, so maybe I’ll wait a little bit,” Sawyer said.
“I think if it was really an unlimited budget, I think I would try Pillars 3 because I know what Deadfire’s budget was, which wasn’t a lot and I’ve heard from a lot of people what Baldur’s Gate 3’s budget is, and I’m not going to talk about numbers, but if I get that budget I will definitely make Pillars 3.”
Sawyer added that if he were to make Pillars 3, he would use a turn-based combat structure.
The pillars of eternity still stand
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was funded through a crowdfunding campaign launched at Fig in 2017 with a goal of raising $1.1 million, with $2.25 million open for equity. The goal was achieved in less than 23 hours, with funds increasing to $4.4 million by the end of the campaign. On the other hand, Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 had a budget of $100 million. That’s the same amount as any major Hollywood film.
Both games are inspired by isometric RPGs of the 1990s, particularly those developed by Black Isle Studios, which was the precursor to Obsidian.
We wrote of the original Pillars of Eternity, “Pillars of Eternity embodies almost everything that’s great about old-school RPG experiences. The quality of its writing and the attention given to every little detail of its world is such that it sometimes feels like Neil Gaiman is playing a dungeon master here.” .More importantly, Pillars of Eternity sets the stage for what should become an iconic RPG series in its own right. It pays homage to the classics, introduces great ideas of its own, and in the process comes across as a classic series itself. Games like this are always about the journey, and it certainly is. It’s a trip worth taking.
Fans were impressed with both the original Pillars of Eternity, but the sequel in particular struggled in the sales charts. However, the universe lives on in Avowed, which is scheduled for release sometime in 2024. It’s not exactly an isometric RPG, but it will do for now.
As for Baldur’s Gate 3, it continues to enjoy great success on both PC and consoles, proving that RPGs on PC can find a large audience. For more information, see our Baldur’s Gate 3 guides.
Christina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like it’s a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
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