If I were an optimist, I'd say there is still some hope for BG3 becoming closer to 5e D&D (but to me, that's not nearly as important), but no hope at all that they will even attempt to change BG3 to feel (at least a bit more) like an actual Baldur's Gate game. Many of Larian's game (and world) design decisions go literally exactly the opposite way.
This has probably been posted a few times before, but:
Larian's philosophy to world design is even more compressed, but BG2 already laid out the path that Bioware would develop later: EVERYTHING in BG2 solely exists to provide loot, NPCs or adventure for the player. You don't even explore and find locations in the countryside without getting a quest leading to it (in that sense, BG3 actually has the upper hand, despite its compressed maps). Still, BG2 is the definition of a game world built for you.
BG2 is in major parts an overcorrection to vocal fan criticism leveled at the first game (too empty! Boring forests! Not enough to do! Not enough epic levels and loot!). The same way as Thief 2 was an overcorrection to criticism leveled at Thief the same year (too many zombies!) As such, it turned out the way it did. Rather than improving the aspects criticized, they tossed them out completely each and went the opposite directions. But yeah, BG1 is an altogether different experience. BG1 "simulates" the Sword Coast (within the confines of its engine). By modern standards, when you start out, it's even almost an A(D&D) surival sim, with weapons occasionally breaking and initially dangerous wildlife that can kill quickly right from the start.
BG2 already moved far closer into the theme park territory, compared to BG1 it IS a D&D theme park as it crams everything into its maps, vampire, dragon and beholder lairs here too are just a click apart. And as Bioware were developing more and more "movie like" experiences later, every location is staged for your adventure. If you find a shack in the woods in BG1, it may contain nothing -- because, that's natural. If you find anything in BG2, you can bet there's somethin to be found for you there. Kingdom Come Deliverance is a different first-person format and doesn't contain fantasy. But exploring it reminded me a lot of BG1. The devs built plenty space (and forests..) that exist because it exists -- like, in a world proper, rather than an amusement ride.
As an aside, Larian's platonic ideal is actually Ultima, in particular 7. But it seems pretty clear by now that they don't champion the world simulation aspects of it, like every NPCs having a purpose and routines; and the world being the world because that's what worlds are like: you may travel plenty without not much action happening. But rather, the object interaction aspects of it. That you could pick up anything and everything and fiddle with it in some way. In terms of exploration etc. , BG1 is much closer to Ultima 7.
