Why the Baldur's Gate Remakes Must Switch to Turn-Based Combat - And Why RTwP Should Stay in the Past

Note: The remakes discussed in this article remain unconfirmed by Hasbro or Wizards of the Coast. However, reports from PC Gamer, IGN, and Eurogamer indicate that internal development is underway, with original co-lead designer Kevin Martens returning to steer the project.

The rumors have become a roar. Multiple reports indicate that Wizards of the Coast is developing full remakes of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, with original co-lead designer Kevin Martens returning to the project. No official announcement has been made, but the industry is already buzzing with one urgent question: Will these remakes preserve the classic real-time-with-pause (RTwP) combat system, or will they follow the path blazed by Baldur's Gate 3 and adopt pure turn-based combat?

That decision will define the entire project. It will determine pacing, audience reach, and the very feel of the game. The evidence from player preferences, developer trends, and the franchise's own landmark success points to one clear answer. The remakes should fully embrace turn-based combat, and any attempt at a middle ground would be a costly mistake.

The Remakes' Defining Design Choice

The news of these remakes first surfaced in early June 2026, when credible sources reported that Wizards of the Coast had assembled a small internal team, with Martens acting as lead designer. The project reportedly encompasses both Baldur's Gate (1998) and its legendary sequel Shadows of Amn (2000), potentially launching together. Neither Hasbro nor Wizards has commented, but the involvement of original talent signals a serious effort to honor the source material.

Combat is the single most consequential design decision in any CRPG. It shapes encounter design, character progression, and moment-to-moment tension. The original games used 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules with RTwP, a system that was innovative for its time but is now showing its age. The original RTwP system was revolutionary for its era, enabling a level of tactical depth that few games could match in the late '90s, but it has not aged gracefully. Baldur's Gate 3, by contrast, used 5th Edition D&D with fully turn-based combat and became the fastest-selling PC game in history. The remakes face an audience that has been conditioned by that success. To ignore it would be to ignore the very market these remakes hope to capture.

The Industry Has Already Voted, Turn-Based Won

The CRPG renaissance of the last decade has seen a steady migration away from RTwP. Owlcat Games started with Pathfinder: Kingmaker (RTwP), then moved to a hybrid system in Wrath of the Righteous, and finally embraced full turn-based combat in Rogue Trader. Obsidian's Josh Sawyer, one of the most respected designers in the genre, has publicly stated that he prefers turn-based systems (as he noted on his blog in 2024). The pattern is unmistakable.

Player sentiment mirrors this shift. A 2025 PC Gamer reader poll found that 75% of respondents now favor turn-based combat over RTwP. The reasons are not hard to grasp. RTwP, for all its nostalgic appeal, forces players to pause constantly, wrestle with clumsy AI pathfinding, and watch as tactical nuance dissolves into real-time chaos. Turn-based combat, when executed with care, offers clarity, depth, and meaningful positioning. Baldur's Gate 3 proved that turn-based combat can handle massive scale and intricate environmental interactions, shoving enemies off ledges, creating surface effects with spells, using jumping and climbing to control the battlefield, without sacrificing pace or drama. These mechanics are deeply integrated into modern RPG design, and RTwP struggles to accommodate them gracefully.

The Enhanced Editions Already Protect the Past

One common objection to changing the combat system is that it would "erase" the original experience. This argument collapses under scrutiny. Beamdog's Enhanced Editions, released in 2012 and 2013, already preserve the original RTwP gameplay in a fully modernized form, complete with improved UI, bug fixes, and mod support. Those versions are available on Steam, GOG, and consoles. They are not going anywhere.

A turn-based remake would not replace the Enhanced Editions. It would complement them, offering a new lens through which to experience the same story and world. A dedicated subset of fans who cherish the original system can continue to enjoy the RTwP version exactly as they remember it. New players, meanwhile, would gain a more accessible, tactical entry point into one of the most celebrated sagas in gaming history. This is not erasure. It is adaptation.

The Hybrid Trap, Why a Switchable System Is a Bad Idea

Some have proposed a compromise: let players toggle between RTwP and turn-based modes at will. On paper, it sounds like the best of both worlds. In practice, it is a design nightmare. Owlcat's Wrath of the Righteous tried this approach, and the result was a system where neither mode felt fully refined. Encounters must be balanced for both pacing styles, which often means that turn-based fights feel too easy and RTwP fights feel too chaotic. The development cost is also significantly higher, as every ability, spell, and enemy behavior must be tested and tuned twice.

A pure turn-based system allows for focused design. Spell timing, action economy, line-of-sight rules, and environmental effects can all be carefully calibrated for a single mode. The result is a tighter, more satisfying experience. Given the immense expectations riding on these remakes, spreading design resources across two incompatible systems is a risk that no sensible producer should take.

Meeting the Impossible Expectations Set by BG3

Let us be honest: the greatest challenge facing these remakes is not the combat system itself, but the shadow cast by Baldur's Gate 3. Larian's masterpiece set a new standard for detail, reactivity, and production value. Critics have noted that living up to that "unfathomable detail and scale" is the core challenge for the remake team. Switching to turn-based combat is not a silver bullet, but it is an essential foundation.

A turn-based system also aligns with the 5th Edition ruleset that most players now associate with Dungeons & Dragons, providing a natural bridge between the old games and the new audience. The remakes can honor the original narrative, characters, and world while updating the combat to serve the story better. That is not betrayal. That is revitalization.

A Second Chance for a Legendary Saga

The Baldur's Gate remakes stand at a crossroads. They can choose to be faithful reproductions of a 25-year-old design, preserved in amber and aimed at a relatively small but passionate audience. Or they can choose to be a new beginning, introducing an iconic story to a generation that has come of age with turn-based CRPGs. The Enhanced Editions already fulfill the first purpose. The remakes should aim for the second.

The industry has moved on. Player preferences have shifted. The most successful entry in the franchise has already shown the way. Wizards of the Coast should commit fully to turn-based combat, scrap the RTwP legacy, and let the best system for the job carry this legendary saga into the future. The tools are ready. The audience is waiting.

For a visual comparison of the two combat systems and their impact on gameplay flow, see the videos below:

• A side-by-side analysis of RTwP versus turn-based tactical depth in recent CRPGs
• A breakdown of how Baldur's Gate 3's turn-based system enables environmental interactivity
• An interview excerpt discussing the design philosophy behind modern turn-based combat