The Untold Story: Why Planescape: Torment’s Epic Sequel Never Saw The Light of Day
Gamers, you know how much we all love a good RPG, right? And after the absolute phenomenon that was Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s clear the demand for deep, narrative-driven fantasy adventures is higher than ever. But before Larian Studios swept us off our feet, there was another D&D title that many consider a masterpiece of storytelling and a true fever dream of a setting: the legendary Planescape: Torment. Imagine getting a sequel to that absolute classic! Well, get ready for a dose of gaming heartbreak, because it almost happened.
Picture this: a follow-up dubbed Planescape: Unraveled, promising to continue the legacy of its predecessor’s exceptional writing and bizarre multiverse. And who better to helm such a project than Beamdog, a studio that has become synonymous with safeguarding and enhancing many of BioWare and Black Isle’s classic RPGs? Trent Oster, the head honcho at Beamdog, teamed up with David Gaider, a renowned writer from BioWare, to pitch their vision for this new chapter.
They took their grand idea straight to the source – Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the custodians of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. And here’s where it gets interesting. According to Oster, those initial meetings with WotC’s creative team, including big names like Chris Perkins and Mike Mearls, went incredibly well. “They were really into what we were doing,” Oster revealed. There were discussions about how to integrate the game with a D&D sourcebook, and the whole concept was buzzing with excitement. It sounded like a dream come true for fans!
But like many epic quests, this one hit an unexpected snag. Despite WotC’s enthusiasm for the creative vision, they weren’t willing to foot the bill. Oster explained that WotC wanted someone else to take on all the financial risk. It seems WotC goes through cycles: sometimes they prefer internal development, then they realize how expensive it is and license out their IPs, letting partners take all the risk. And if those partners strike gold? You guessed it, they try to bring it all back in-house. It’s a classic corporate conundrum, unfortunately for us gamers.
So, with WotC stepping back from funding, Beamdog set out to find other investors. And this is where the story gets truly heartbreaking. “Nobody would fund it,” Oster lamented. The reasoning from potential backers was simple, yet frustrating: “Why would we spend our money making their IP worth more money?” In essence, they didn’t want to invest in a project that would ultimately benefit Wizards of the Coast’s brand without them getting a bigger slice of the pie.
David Gaider, who was deeply involved in the project, expressed his profound disappointment back in 2016. He confirmed that they simply couldn’t sell the idea to funders, and by the end of that year, Planescape: Unraveled had to be shelved. It was such a blow that Gaider almost walked away from the industry then and there. Imagine the creative energy and passion poured into this, only for it to be undone by financial hesitations.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially when you consider how influential the original Planescape: Torment was. While it might have been a commercial “disappointment” at launch (despite eventually turning a profit), its impact on the RPG genre is undeniable. Gamers are still talking about it, still craving more of its intensely weird multiverse, with the ever-shifting city of Sigil at its heart. A modern sequel, perhaps given the same level of care and budget as Baldur’s Gate 3, with improved combat and richer tabletop-inspired roleplaying, could have been truly revolutionary.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be, at least for now. But hey, if you’re looking to scratch that unique RPG itch, don’t forget about Torment: Tides of Numenera, which serves as a fantastic spiritual successor. And keep an eye out for other gems like Disco Elysium and Esoteric Ebb; they capture a similar spirit of deep narrative and thought-provoking gameplay that made Planescape: Torment so special. Who knows, maybe one day the stars will align for a true Planescape: Torment sequel. Until then, we can only dream of what could have been.