Was there ever any plans for an expansion for Icewind Dale 2?

[MotelOK]

I know this is about the ancient Black Isle days, but I've always wanted to know. I've asked Sawyer twice on twitter/tumblr but never received an answer. I know Black Isle was in deep trouble during IWD2 development, but I've always wanted to know if there was a plan for an expansion, or if everyone was already on their way out by then.

[Heijoushin]

Not sure if anyone on these boards can answer that. I personally loved the Icewind Dale series and was always looking for news of an expansion or sequel but never found anything. Since Baldur's Gate was always the favorite brother, I presume that's where they were directing their energies when the studio closed (the wiki says "Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance III and the original Fallout 3" were cancelled). 

 

RIP Icewind Dale

Edited August 1, 2018 by Heijoushin

[kanisatha]

As an older gamer who was very active on the old Black Isle forums, I vaguely recall that the IwD2 base game itself only barely made it into our hands. There was even some brief talk of canceling that game before its release because of the financial woes of the studio. So I highly doubt there ever were any concrete plans for an expansion beyond the usual discussions that would have happened during the base game's development.

[Amentep]

Like Kanisatha, I don't recall any talk of an expansion for IWD2.  It was originally supposed to be a short production, quick turnaround game designed to get some immediate cash in the face of Interplay's mounting financial problems (hence why it was originally going to be 2e and use kits to build off all the stuff already created for the Infinity Engine to that point). 

 

I imagine (but could be wrong) that expansions to IWD2 weren't seriously considered in favor of trying to get BG: The Dark Hound completed, as the full BG game would have (theoretically) benefited Interplay more than expansions to IWD2.

 

From what I recall the last projects BIS worked on went something like:

• IWD 2 (released Aug 2002)
• Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (released Aug 2003; developed by Reflexive but I know some BIS employees worked on it)
• BG: Dark Alliance 2 (released Jan 2004; delayed from Oct 2003 release date due to disagreements with Vivendi that didn't get resolved until Nov 2003)
• Fallout 3 (cancelled Dec 2003)
• BG: The Dark Hound (cancelled Dec 2003)
• BG: Dark Alliance 3 (cancelled Dec 2003)

[robbie22]

well there was an explaination regarding to the expansion but still we all are waiting.

[injurai]

I thought IWD2 barely even got released as a base game. Publishing troubles were hitting it fairly hard, a reason projects earlier in the pipe like BG3 and FO3 were canned. I've read or crossed some more in depth history over the years, but don't really recall where to source it. I think Josh may of talked a bit about the struggles of the project in his talk about crunch time and improving industry productivity.

[SonicMage117]

Most likely it was considered...

[algroth]

To add to what Amentep and the others said, I recall seeing an interview with Josh or Feargus where they also spoke about the tech for Icewind Dale II already outdated and so the devs were working with the engine knowing that it was its last hurrah so to speak. It seems to me that knowing that the tech was on its way out and with the time constraints and financial woes and so on, the game was created more as a quick salvage than anything else, with no real plans to make an expansion to it. I could be wrong though.