Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Re-Release Could Happen

Just last week Black Isle Studios announced that one of its classic games, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, was being ported to current-gen consoles. The very next day, it dropped the game. While fans were excited by the news, many also began calling for the sequel, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2, to be re-released. Now, capitalizing on the wave of fan excitement, Black Isle Studios teased via Twitter that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is also "on the table."

Though the original Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance introduced hack-and-slash action into the world of Forgotten Realms, many view the sequel as the better of the two. The games are remarkably similar to the point that Dark Alliance 2 is often seen as an expansion pack of sorts to the original game. While the sequel introduced a few more characters and flashier action, the original is typically regarded as the better-written game, but regardless of preference both are highly regarded hack-and-slashes often compared to classics like Gauntlet.

While the port of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance on Switch was delayed, the pace at which Black Isle Studios has been delivering surprises has left fans with little to complain about. Within less than a week's time, the developers announced the original game, dropped the original game, and announced the planned port of the sequel. Although the sequel is currently only "on the table," according to a tweet yesterday, it seems likely Black Isle Studios will follow through with the port considering the positive reaction.

Despite the original Baldur's Gate game releasing almost 23 years ago, the franchise has had loyal fans since its inception. Even an unusual Early Access rollout for Baldur's Gate 3 has managed to be successful, with fans supporting the slow release of the title. After a relatively quiet few years, the Baldur's Gate franchise seemingly can't miss.

A re-release of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 would also be the perfect pairing for the impending release of Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance — the forthcoming third entry in the series. At this point, with the original game re-released and a new game about to release, leaving the middle entry out feels highly unlikely, especially when the Baldur's Gate series seems to be focused on modernizing itself. Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance, for instance, aims to blend the traditional elements fans love with spruced-up gameplay to broaden its appeal.

The team of designers behind Dungeons and Dragons recently started a blog, and the first entry contains pretty big news. Wizards of the Coast is planning to release three new hardcovers for Dungeons and Dragons by the end of this year, as well as a few extras along the way. Though hints about what these products might be were pretty scant, one of them will be a "big summer adventure" headed up by DnD's senior story designer, Chris Perkins.

The only Dungeons and Dragons product to release so far this year has been Candlekeep Mysteries, a collection of 17 mini-adventures written by many different authors. Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft will release this May, serving as a campaign guide for the Gothic horror-themed Demiplane of Dread. Wizards of the Coast typically releases two adventures, two setting guides, and one rules supplement each year, which could give fans an idea of what's on the way.