Baldur’s Gate 2 almost had a ’time travel plot’, letting you visit an alternate future where BG1’s main villain rules the Sword Coast
Baldur’s Gate 2 was filled with memorable and unconventional quests, but one particularly ambitious concept never made it into the final game. James Ohlen, co-lead designer on Baldur’s Gate 2, wanted to implement a time travel plot that would have allowed players to visit an alternate dimension or future timeline. In this alternate reality, Sarevok—the main antagonist from the original Baldur’s Gate—would have successfully ruled over the Sword Coast instead of being defeated by the player character.
The scrapped questline would have been one of the most audacious detours in the game, offering players a compelling “what-if” scenario within the game world. While the final release featured plenty of memorable quests—including running a playhouse, infiltrating the Underdark disguised as a drow, and becoming trapped in a magically-transformed circus—the time travel mechanic and alternate dimension concept were ultimately cut from development.
Ohlen, who is currently taking a break from game development to recover from burnout, clearly had ambitious ideas for the sequel. His vision represented a significant departure from the game’s existing content and would have given the narrative an additional layer of complexity. This piece of cut content serves as a reminder of how many ambitious ideas get left on the cutting room floor during game development, whether due to time constraints, technical limitations, or design changes during production.