The gaming community’s wildest theories about a mysterious demonic statue that appeared in the Mojave Desert were all wrong. It wasn’t teasing Diablo 4 DLC, Elder Scrolls 6, God of War, or any of the dozens of other games people guessed. The Game Awards 2025 revealed the truth: the statue, called the Hellstone, was promoting Larian Studios’ return to their Divinity franchise with what they’re calling their biggest game ever, even larger in scope than Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Viral Marketing Campaign
It all started on November 28, 2025, when Game Awards host Geoff Keighley posted a photo on social media showing a large, ominous monolith standing in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The statue depicted a throne made of tortured bodies, skeletons, wolves, soldiers, and other grotesque figures, all centered around a glowing symbol. Keighley’s cryptic caption read “regal.inspiring.thickness,” a three-word combination that made absolutely zero sense to anyone.
What made the campaign particularly effective was that the statue was physically real and accessible. Keighley included tracking information pinpointing its exact location to a roadside spot in California’s Mojave Desert. Gaming enthusiasts started making pilgrimages to see it in person, posting photos and videos that only fueled more speculation. The statue became a genuine roadside attraction, drawing visitors curious to see what all the fuss was about.
The Internet Goes Wild With Theories
The demonic aesthetic of the statue sent the gaming community into overdrive trying to figure out what it represented. Windows Central reporter Jez Corden initially claimed it was teasing a Diablo 4 expansion, which made sense given the hellish imagery and Blizzard’s plans for 2026 DLC. But Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier quickly debunked that theory, stating definitively that the statue had nothing to do with Diablo 4.
That clarification only sparked a new wave of speculation. Fans pivoted to Elder Scrolls 6, thinking maybe Bethesda was finally ready to show the game after years of silence. Schreier shot that down too, saying people were “getting out of control” with their guesses. Some theorized it might be God of War related, but director Cory Barlog reportedly popped into YouTuber Luke Stephens’ stream to personally deny involvement. Other wild guesses included Bloodborne 2, Doom DLC, a new FromSoftware game, Half-Life 3, and even Altered Beast. The mystery deepened with each debunked theory.
The Leak That Spoiled the Surprise
As is tradition with The Game Awards, the mystery didn’t last until the show. On December 8, just days before the event, MP1st spotted new trademark filings in Europe for a Divinity logo and symbols. The filing representative was IHDE & Partner Rechtsanwalte, the same law firm that handles Larian Studios’ other European trademarks. One of the symbols in the trademark looked nearly identical to the glowing design on the Game Awards statue, making it extremely obvious what the announcement would be.
Gaming outlets rushed to report that the statue was almost certainly teasing a new Divinity game from Larian. While Larian’s publishing director had previously stated there weren’t plans for Divinity: Original Sin 3 specifically, the trademark evidence suggested something Divinity-related was coming. The trademark speculation turned out to be completely accurate, though it did rob the reveal of some impact since anyone paying attention already knew what to expect.
The Gruesome Reveal Trailer
When The Game Awards finally aired on December 11, Larian unveiled one of the most disturbing trailers in the show’s history. Set to cheerful flute music that clashed violently with the imagery, the cinematic showed a man chained inside one of three towering effigies. As the effigies burned, the man’s skin began to boil and slough off, with chunks falling to the ground and sprouting fungus. Blood sprayed from his body, infecting cheering cultists surrounding the ritual.
When the horrific ritual completed, all that remained of the effigies was a structure identical to the statue Keighley had been teasing, the Hellstone. The corpses of infected cultists formed a throne around the monument. The trailer then cut to the title card: simply “Divinity,” with no subtitle. It was bold, visceral, and completely unlike anything else shown during the three-hour presentation. Larian proved they’re willing to push boundaries even further after Baldur’s Gate 3’s mature content.
Bigger Than Baldur’s Gate 3
The most shocking claim came from Geoff Keighley himself, who described the new Divinity as Larian’s “biggest game ever,” even larger in scope than Baldur’s Gate 3. That’s a staggering statement considering BG3’s massive scale, branching narrative paths, multiple acts spanning different regions, extensive character customization, and the sheer amount of content that took most players over 100 hours to fully experience. If Larian is genuinely planning to exceed that scope, they’re setting an incredibly ambitious bar.
No gameplay footage was shown, only the cinematic announcement trailer. Details remain scarce about what kind of game this will be, though Larian’s pedigree strongly suggests a complex, choice-driven RPG with deep systems and meaningful player agency. Platform information, release window, and other specifics weren’t announced, indicating the game is likely still early in development. Given Baldur’s Gate 3 spent years in early access before its full 2023 release, fans shouldn’t expect Divinity anytime soon.
Return to Larian’s Roots
While Baldur’s Gate 3 brought Larian massive mainstream success and critical acclaim including Game of the Year wins, the Divinity franchise is where the studio built its reputation. Divine Divinity released in 2002, followed by Beyond Divinity, Divinity 2, Divinity: Original Sin in 2014, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 in 2017. The Original Sin games particularly established Larian as masters of intricate RPG systems, environmental interaction, and co-op gameplay.
The fact that this new game is simply titled “Divinity” rather than “Divinity: Original Sin 3” or another subtitle suggests Larian is reimagining the franchise from the ground up. They’ve stated previously that there aren’t current plans for a direct Original Sin sequel, so this appears to be something fresh while still rooted in the Divinity universe’s lore and themes. The Hellstone clearly plays a significant role in whatever story they’re telling, likely as a central artifact of power or corruption.
Why They’re Not Making Baldur’s Gate 4
Some fans expressed disappointment that Larian isn’t working on Baldur’s Gate 4, especially given BG3’s success. The studio addressed this directly, explaining that they’ve told the story they wanted to tell in that universe and are ready to move on to their own IP. The decision makes sense from a creative perspective. Working on Dungeons & Dragons means collaborating with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, following established lore, and dealing with licensing. Returning to Divinity gives Larian complete creative freedom.
Baldur’s Gate’s future remains in Hasbro’s hands, and other developers will likely get opportunities to work in that space. But Larian has earned the right to pursue their own vision after delivering one of the most successful RPGs ever made. The new Divinity represents their chance to build on everything they learned from Baldur’s Gate 3 without constraints, potentially creating something even more ambitious and unique.
FAQs
What was the Game Awards statue mystery?
Geoff Keighley posted photos of a demonic monolith statue in the Mojave Desert starting November 28, 2025, sparking weeks of speculation about what game it represented. The statue was revealed at The Game Awards as the Hellstone from Larian Studios’ new Divinity game.
Is this Divinity: Original Sin 3?
No, the game is simply titled “Divinity” without a subtitle. Larian previously stated there aren’t current plans for Divinity: Original Sin 3, suggesting this is a reimagining of the franchise rather than a direct sequel.
When does the new Divinity game release?
No release date or window was announced. Given that only a cinematic trailer was shown with no gameplay, the game appears to be early in development and likely several years away from launch.
What platforms will it be on?
Platform information hasn’t been announced yet. Baldur’s Gate 3 eventually came to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, so expect similar support though nothing is confirmed.
How big is the new Divinity game?
Geoff Keighley described it as Larian’s “biggest game ever,” claiming it will be even larger in scope than Baldur’s Gate 3. Specific details about size, length, or scope haven’t been revealed.
Why isn’t Larian making Baldur’s Gate 4?
Larian has explained they’ve told the story they wanted to tell in the Baldur’s Gate universe and are ready to return to their own IP where they have complete creative freedom. Baldur’s Gate’s future remains with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast.
What is the Hellstone?
The Hellstone is the demonic monument shown being created in the reveal trailer and replicated as the real-world statue in the Mojave Desert. It appears to be a significant artifact or location in the new Divinity game, though its exact role in the story is unknown.
Conclusion
The Game Awards statue mystery proved to be one of the most effective viral marketing campaigns in recent gaming memory. By creating a physical artifact that people could visit and photograph, Larian and Keighley generated weeks of genuine speculation and excitement that built organically across social media. While trademark leaks dampened the surprise a few days before the reveal, the grotesque announcement trailer still made an impact and positioned Divinity as one of the most anticipated games coming from Larian Studios. The claim that it will exceed Baldur’s Gate 3’s scope is almost impossible to believe, but if any developer has earned the benefit of the doubt after BG3’s success, it’s Larian. We might be waiting years for more details, but the return to Divinity represents Larian doing what they do best: creating complex, choice-driven RPGs where player agency matters and every decision has consequences. The Hellstone has been revealed, and now we wait to see what horrors and wonders Larian has planned for their biggest game ever.