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Beloved D&D RPG Almost Had a Sequel

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On April 16, 2025

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Summary

Former Dragon Age writer reveals Beamdog planned a sequel for Planescape: Torment, but it never took off due to a lack of funding.
Planescape: Unraveled was to explore the mystery of one’s existence through one of three aspects of Ravel Puzzlewell.
Wizards of the Coast was excited about the sequel but couldn’t provide financial backing.

A former Dragon Age writer recently revealed publisher Beamdog was once working on a sequel to a cherished Dungeons and Dragons game from the 90s. However, the successor never got released due to one major issue. David Gaider, lead writer of Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition, is now the co-founder and creative director of Summerfall Studios, and due to the professional’s previous stint with Beamdog, he’s now spilling the beans on the Dungeons and Dragons RPG sequel that never was.

Founded by BioWare co-founder Trent Oster and former BioWare lead programmer Cameron Tofer in 2009, Beamdog was acquired by Aspyr Media, under the Embracer Group, back in 2022. It may interest D&D fans to know the developer has published a handful of Baldur’s Gate games over the last few decades, including the enhanced editions of both the original 1998 Baldur’s Gate game and its sequel, and 2016’s Siege of Dragonspear.

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Spilling the details in a Bluesky thread, Gaider confirmed Beamdog was planning to make a sequel to the 1999 title Planescape: Torment, but the project’s downfall came down to a lack of funding. Planescape: Torment carries a reputation for being one of the most complex Dungeons and Dragons games in history, alongside Solasta: Crown Of The Magister, Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition (also published by Beamdog), and The Temple Of Elemental Evil, and Beamdog previously published the enhanced edition of Planescape: Torment in 2017. Gaider revealed the sequel was going to be titled Planescape: Unraveled, which would have seen players on a quest to “solve the mystery of your own existence” by playing “one of three aspects of Ravel Puzzlewell.”

Planescape: Torment Nearly Got a Sequel From Beamdog

After all, making a sequel to one of the most beloved Infinity Engine titles? In the Planescape setting, which I adored, and which gave license to break all the “standard” rules of CRPG’s? Yes, please! Under that premise, I warily agreed – and by March of 2016 I was Beamdog’s new Creative Director.
— David Gaider (@davidgaider.bsky.social) 2025-04-15T01:49:29.481Z

Coming from Gaider’s Dragon Age camp, Wizards of the Coast recently hired former Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche for a cloak-and-dagger project at Skeleton Key studio, and the Magic: The Gathering publisher even had a hand in the Planescape sequel’s development. Gaider wrote, “WOTC was so excited about it they were willing to move up their plans for third edition Planescape and include some of the characters and seismic events.” Regarding the sequel’s lack of funding, Gaider noted WOTC was unable to provide financial backing above giving the sequel its blessing, and publishers were hesitant to act on a successor because Planescape was not a commercial success. “Or maybe they just didn’t have confidence in Beamdog or me. Whatever the problem, we couldn’t sell it.” Gaider added.

Several changes have recently been made at Dungeons and Dragons headquarters, including the retirement of D&D’s creative director, who’s hanging up their cape after 28 years. Additionally, Dungeons and Dragons also lost its game director after 18 years of service, and thankfully, these departures are not expected to affect the game’s schedule.