Baldur’s Gate 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Herald an RPG Renaissance Beyond Bethesda and BioWare’s Reach

The RPG landscape has been a battleground of giants for decades, with Bethesda and BioWare towering over the genre like colossi—Bethesda with its sprawling worlds like Skyrim and Starfield, BioWare with its narrative-driven epics like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. But as 2025 dawns, a seismic shift is underway. Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios’ 2023 masterpiece, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Warhorse Studios’ February 2025 release, have stormed the scene with a ferocity and flair that make the old guard look tame by comparison. These games aren’t just raising the bar—they’re rewriting the rules, delivering experiences so ambitious, weird, and unexpected that they expose the cracks in Bethesda and BioWare’s once-unassailable foundations. The future of RPGs, it seems, belongs to the daring, not the dependable.

Take Baldur’s Gate 3. When it launched in August 2023, it didn’t just meet expectations—it obliterated them, selling over 20 million copies and snagging every award from BAFTAs to Game of the Year. Built on the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition framework, it’s a sprawling, 100-hour-plus odyssey where every choice feels like it could unravel the world—or at least your party. You can seduce a bear, topple a city with a single spell, or accidentally doom your companions because you misclicked a dialogue option. It’s dense, chaotic, and gloriously strange, a game that revels in its complexity rather than sanding it down for mass appeal. Players on X still rave about it 16 months later: “BG3 is the RPG I didn’t know I needed—Bethesda could never.” It’s not just a game; it’s a phenomenon that’s redefined what interactivity can mean.

Then there’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a sequel that took Warhorse’s niche 2018 debut and turned it into a juggernaut. Set in the gritty, grounded muck of 15th-century Bohemia, it’s an RPG that ditches dragons for dysentery, magic for medieval politics, and polished heroes for a bumbling everyman named Henry. Released in February 2025, it’s janky, unapologetic, and exactingly authentic—think Oblivion without the hand-holding, but with twice the ambition. You can fail quests because you didn’t bathe, get lost in its labyrinthine forests, or stumble into a tavern brawl that ends with you penniless. Fans adore its quirks: “KCD2 feels like a living world, not a theme park,” one X user posted. It’s messy, bold, and unlike anything Bethesda or BioWare would dare touch.

Contrast that with the old titans’ recent offerings. Bethesda’s Starfield, hyped as the next Skyrim when it dropped in September 2023, promised a galaxy of wonder but delivered a shallow puddle of procedurally generated boredom. Sure, it sold millions—Bethesda’s name alone guarantees that—but the chatter fizzled fast. Steam reviews sit at “Mixed,” with players griping about lifeless planets and a story that feels like a B-tier sci-fi flick. “I explored 100 systems and found nothing worth caring about,” one X post lamented. BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a decade in the making and released in 2024, fared worse. It aimed to reclaim the studio’s glory but stumbled with a middling 1.5 million sales—half of EA’s target—and a “Mixed” Steam rating. Fans wanted an all-timer; they got a polished but forgettable romp. “Veilguard’s fine, but it’s no Origins,” a Reddit thread sighed.

What’s happening here? For years, Bethesda and BioWare defined RPGs—Bethesda with vast sandboxes where you could climb every mountain, BioWare with emotional tales where your choices shaped the fate of nations. But Starfield and Veilguard feel like echoes of past triumphs, safe bets that lean on brand loyalty rather than innovation. Starfield’s galaxy is wide but lacks soul; Veilguard’s story is tight but lacks the depth that once made BioWare untouchable. Meanwhile, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are swinging for the fences, embracing risks that make them stand out. Larian and Warhorse aren’t afraid to be weird—whether it’s a bear romance or a quest derailed by a hangover—and that’s what’s fueling their dominance.

Look at February 2025 as a microcosm. Obsidian’s Avowed, backed by Microsoft’s deep pockets, launched to solid reviews—a polished, accessible RPG with a rich story. It’s good, even great, but it’s been drowned out by Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s feverish reception. Avowed plays it safe, a beginner-friendly entry that doesn’t rock the boat. KCD2, with its historical density and refusal to coddle, has players buzzing about its every flaw and triumph. “Avowed’s fun, but KCD2’s a beast I’ll remember,” one X user declared. It’s not about polish—it’s about ambition, the kind Bethesda and BioWare seem to have forgotten.

This shift isn’t just about two games; it’s a trend. Elden Ring in 2022 showed players crave uncompromising worlds, selling 25 million copies with its brutal, enigmatic sprawl. Disco Elysium rewrote narrative RPGs with its cerebral oddity before its studio imploded. The appetite’s changed—gamers want density over breadth, eccentricity over familiarity. Bethesda’s Morrowind once embodied that weirdness with its alien landscapes and esoteric cults, but Starfield feels like a corporate checklist. BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate roots were wild and freeform; Veilguard feels focus-grouped to death. Larian and Warhorse, by contrast, channel that old-school daring with modern scale, proving RPGs thrive when they push boundaries, not rest on laurels.

Does this spell doom for the giants? Not quite. Bethesda’s got Elder Scrolls 6 simmering, and BioWare’s still got Mass Effect 5 in the oven—both could surprise us. But the pressure’s on. Baldur’s Gate 3 set a new benchmark with its reactivity—every NPC feels alive, every choice ripples. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 doubled down on immersion, making you feel every muddy step. Bethesda’s procedurally generated planets and BioWare’s streamlined quests can’t compete unless they evolve. Fans on X are blunt: “Bethesda needs to ditch the cookie-cutter crap,” one wrote, while another begged, “BioWare, give us Origins vibes, not this.”

The future of RPGs isn’t in safe, predictable blockbusters—it’s in the uncharted, the messy, the downright bizarre. Baldur’s Gate 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 aren’t just games; they’re statements, proof that ambition and oddity can outshine polish and pedigree. Bethesda and BioWare built the genre’s foundation, but Larian and Warhorse are raising the roof—and maybe tearing down some walls while they’re at it. As 2025 unfolds, one thing’s clear: the RPG crown’s up for grabs, and the weirdos are winning.