Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke denies replacing teams with AI amid generative AI controversy

Larian's CEO says the studio isn't 'trimming down teams to replace them with AI'

The CEO of Baldur's Gate 3 studio Larian has inadvertently stirred up some controversy over the use of AI in the developer's next game. Based on an interview with Larian CEO Swen Vincke, Bloomberg reported that the studio uses AI tools for things like developing concept art and writing placeholder text. But following some initial backlash, Vincke later clarified to IGN that the studio is "neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI" and published his own statement on X. Larian announced Divinity last week at The Game Awards with a "cinematic" teaser trailer that didn't reveal much about the game itself. Here's what Bloomberg reported about Larian's use of AI in Divinity: Under Vincke, Larian has been pushing hard on generative AI, although the CEO says the technology hasn't led to big gains in efficiency. He says there won't be any AI-generated content in Divinity -- "everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves" -- but the creators often use AI tools to explore ideas, flesh out PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art and write placeholder text. The use of generative AI has led to some pushback at Larian, "but I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it," Vincke said. Vincke's AI comments have received some pushback, including former Larian employee Selena Tobin saying on Bluesky "consider my feedback: i loved working at @larianstudios.com until AI." A few hours after Bloomberg's report, IGN published the following statement from Vincke, which Larian has also shared with The Verge: We've been continuously increasing our pool of concept artists , writers and story-tellers, are actively putting together writer rooms, casting and recording performances from actors and hiring translators. Since concept art is being called out explicitly - we have 23 concept artists and have job openings for more. These artists are creating concept art day in day out for ideation and production use. Everything we do is incremental and aimed at having people spend more time creating. Any ML tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual's workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft. We are researching and understanding the cutting edge of ML as a toolset for creatives to use and see how it can make their day-to-day lives easier, which will let us make better games. We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI. While I understand it's a subject that invokes a lot of emotion, it's something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse. Vincke also posted a statement on X: Holy fuck guys we're not "pushing hard" for or replacing concept artists with AI. We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I'm very proud of what they do. I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists. We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison. I talked about how we use ML here if you would like to know more: https://gamespot.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-dev-embraces-machine-learning-for-tasks-that-nobody-wants-to-do/1100-6531123/ We've hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests, but they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier. Vincke's stance seems less supportive of AI than positions taken by other big gaming companies, including Krafton's move to becoming "AI First" and Nexon's CEO saying that "it's important to assume that every game company is now using AI." Some indie developers, on the other hand, are promoting the fact that they're "AI free."

Swen Vincke promises an AMA to clear up Larian's use of generative AI: 'You'll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly'

Vincke kicked off an uproar earlier this week when he said that Larian makes use of generative AI "to explore ideas." XIt's been a bad few days for Larian Studios and CEO Swen Vincke. Instead of basking in the glory of its first post-Baldur's Gate 3 project, revealed at The Game Awards as Divinity, the studio has been dealing with the ugly aftermath of Vincke's comments about the use of generative AI at Larian. In a new effort to set the record straight, Vincke said today that Larian will hold an AMA in the new year, giving gamers an opportunity to learn more about how developers at Larian actually get things done. Larian's AI controversy erupted earlier this week in the wake of a Bloomberg interview in which Vincke touched on some of the ways developers at the studio are making use of generative AI tools. He made clear that the studio isn't using generative AI for any in-game content, like art, writing, or voices, but that did little good: The backlash against what was perceived as Larian's pro-AI stance was immediate and fierce. Vincke tried to smooth things out with a subsequent post on X in which he was more specific about how exactly Larian developers use generative AI, but that did not satisfy many of the studio's fans. So now the plan is to let the developers themselves jump into the fray. "Larian's DNA is agency," Vincke wrote on X. "Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make. "In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes. To give you more insight, we'll do an AMA featuring our different departments after the holiday break, in which you'll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly." It's been interesting to watch the ferocity of the blowback against Vincke's AI comments -- it was just a year ago, after all, that he received widespread plaudits for calling out the failures of the game industry in a speech at The Game Awards. Whether this AMA will change any minds is an open question at this point, but my own inclination is to give Vincke and Larian the benefit of the doubt for now: I'm no fan of generative AI and I think the headlong pursuit of "artificial intelligence" in a wider context is reckless at best, but I'm willing to at least hear more about the specific tools being used and the attitudes of Larian's artists before writing the whole studio off. At the very least, this AMA should allow for some nuance in the conversation, and help us all form more well-considered opinions about how much this sucks. Vincke said a date for Larian's AI AMA will be announced in the new year.

"Holy f*ck guys we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI": Larian CEO responds to genAI backlash

Swen Vinke, the CEO of Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity developer Larain, has responded to the intense backlash the studio has received since its use of generative AI was confirmed. Yesterday, the Larian CEO stated the studio is using generative AI to explore ideas, expand on internal presentations, develop concept art, and write placeholder text, with Vinke saying "everyone at the company is more or less OK" with the way the technology is being implemented. He added the studio's upcoming and newly-announced release Divinity won't contain anything which has been AI-generated. Soon after Vinke's statements went live, however, he was met with backlash from fans as well as former Larian developers, which prompted the studio head to respond with his own post, stating: "Holy fuck guys we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI." The Baldur's Gate 3 head added Larian has "a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more", with the artwork they create being original and something Vinke is "very proud" of. Continuing further, Vinke said he was "asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI" during the interview with Bloomberg. "I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists". Vinke stated the studio uses "AI tools to explore references", in the same way it uses the likes of Google and art books. "At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art," he said. "There is no comparison." Larian hires its team of creatives for "their talent", Vinke closed, and "not for their ability to do what a machine suggests". He again reiterated the team can still "experiment with these tools to make their lives easier". In a further statement shared with IGN, Vinke again clarified that Larian is not looking to replace any of its developers with generative AI. It will also not be releasing a game which includes content made by the technology. You can read Vinke's statement in full below: "We've been continuously increasing our pool of concept artists , writers and story-tellers, are actively putting together writer rooms, casting and recording performances from actors and hiring translators. "Since concept art is being called out explicitly - we have 23 concept artists and have job openings for more. These artists are creating concept art day in day out for ideation and production use. "Everything we do is incremental and aimed at having people spend more time creating. "Any ML tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual's workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft. "We are researching and understanding the cutting edge of ML as a toolset for creatives to use and see how it can make their day-to-day lives easier, which will let us make better games. "We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI. "While I understand it's a subject that invokes a lot of emotion, it's something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse." While many remain unconvinced of Vincke's response, others have pointed out Larian is far from the only beloved studio to admit to using AI. The "Expedition 33 team freely admitted using AI and just won the most awards ever in The Game Awards history," Washington Post reporter Gene Park noted on social media. AI, of course, remains a key area of discussion across the industry, and reports of AI use are continuing to make headlines. Earlier this month, publisher Running with Scissors cancelled upcoming game Postal: Bullet Paradise - a co-op "bullet-heaven" first-person shooter from developer Goonswarm Games - after feedback to the reveal two days ago said much of the game appeared to have been made using generative AI. Last month, meanwhile, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney said "AI will be involved in nearly all future production", so having Steam games disclose whether they were built with AI makes about as much sense as telling us what kind of shampoo the developers use. More recently, Bethesda's Todd Howard shared his own thoughts on the use of AI in video games, calling it a "tool" but one that can't replace human intention. As for Larian, it is working on Divinity, which was announced at The Game Awards with a rather gruesome and unsettling trailer. Vinke has since said Larian's upcoming game is the studio "unleashed", while confirming it will be a turn-based RPG.

Larian boss Swen Vincke responds to gen AI controversy: 'We aren't replacing teams with AI'

TL;DR: Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke clarifies the use of generative AI in their upcoming RPG Divinity, emphasizing AI as a supportive tool-not a replacement for artists or writers. The studio continues hiring creatives and prioritizes original work, promising transparency through an upcoming AMA to address community concerns. Larian boss Swen Vincke issues multiple statements on the heels of a recent Bloomberg report, which says that Vincke is pushing the use of generative AI in future games. Controversy has struck indie darling Larian, a studio that garnered tremendous goodwill with fan favorite RPG Baldur's Gate 3. The game creators are apparently using generative AI to make their next game, Divinity, which is said to be the group's most ambitious project to date. Now studio head Swen Vincke has clarified Larian's position on generative AI, even going so far as to promise an AMA where users can directly ask questions to the team. Vincke tells IGN that Larian won't "trim down teams and replace them with AI." Here's the statement that Vincke provided to IGN on the subject of generative AI. Then there's a follow-up statement that was released today where Vincke discussed the AMA. We've been continuously increasing our pool of concept artists, writers and story-tellers, are actively putting together writer rooms, casting and recording performances from actors and hiring translators. Since concept art is being called out explicitly - we have 23 concept artists and have job openings for more. These artists are creating concept art day in day out for ideation and production use. Everything we do is incremental and aimed at having people spend more time creating. Any ML tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual's workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft. We are researching and understanding the cutting edge of ML as a toolset for creatives to use and see how it can make their day-to-day lives easier, which will let us make better games. We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI. While I understand it's a subject that invokes a lot of emotion, it's something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse. That same day, he also posted a lengthy Tweet on the subject: Holy fuck guys we're not "pushing hard" for or replacing concept artists with AI. We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I'm very proud of what they do. I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists. We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use Google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison. We've hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests, but they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier. In today's response, Vincke briefly discussed Larian's ethos around AI--generative or otherwise--saying that it would be "irresponsible" for the team not to look at new technologies for any kinds of productivity uplift. That being said, gen AI is reportedly causing issues, particularly at EA. Vincke's words have proven to be controversial, with some artists and creatives feeling like this focus ultimately squeezes more people out of jobs. Here's what Vincke said today on the topic: It's been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation. Larian's DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make. In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes. To give you more insight, we'll do an AMA featuring our different departments after the holiday break, in which you'll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly. We'll announce the date in the new year. In the meantime, I wish you all happy holidays!

Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian defends itself as fans react to generative AI use: 'I'm not entirely sure we are the ideal target for the level of scorn'

Larian says that nothing AI-generated will appear in its games, and that it does not "develop concept art" with AI tools. Larian CEO Swen Vincke said earlier this year that the Baldur's Gate 3 studio is using generative AI to automate certain prototyping tasks, such as creating mock levels for designers to work with before replacing them with hand-made art. The comments didn't attract much notice at the time, but similar remarks in a new Bloomberg interview about Larian's next big RPG, Divinity, have kicked up a storm of complaints, which the studio is now pushing back on. In Bloomberg's words, Larian has been "pushing hard" on generative AI and its developers "often use AI tools to explore ideas, flesh out PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art and write placeholder text." Vincke reiterated in the interview that the studio isn't using generative AI to create any of the art, voices, or writing we see in its games. After the interview was published, he also said that "pushing hard" isn't a correct characterization of Larian's AI policy, and that AI is not being used "to develop concept art." The Larian CEO has previously rejected the idea that generative AI tools can replace creative workers, saying in April for instance that when the studio needed more concept art, it hired 15 more concept artists. But word of Larian's generative AI usage has been taken as a betrayal by many fans, and one ex-employee has urged the company to reconsider its stance. Artist Selena Tobin, who's credited as a junior environment artist on Baldur's Gate 3, said on Bluesky that she loved working at Larian "until AI." "Reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday," wrote Tobin. "Show your employees some respect. they are world-class & do not need AI assistance to come up with amazing ideas." Elsewhere, fans are saying they won't play future Larian games, expressing feelings of disappointment and betrayal, and speculating on the likelihood of AI-generated placeholders slipping into Divinity, a phenomenon we've seen several times in other games, including this year's Game Awards winner Clair Obscur. On X, Larian publishing director Michael Douse responded to the criticism, contrasting Larian's use of the technology with that of less-scrupulous developers who would directly feature AI-made assets in their games, or use the technology as an excuse for layoffs. "Back in April our stance on AI in workflows was established so I'm not sure why this is coming up now as a controversy (the timing of it!)," wrote Douse. "We continue to hire people across all departments, not trim. Our goal is to make life better for individual workflows, not worse. We want to make better games that don't feature AI content in them, where much of the industry will feature AI content. We want everyone to have fulfilling, creative roles & keep their jobs, in an industry of mass layoffs. In other words, I'm not entirely sure we are the ideal target for the level of scorn." An exasperated-sounding Vincke also elaborated on the studio's generative AI use on X, denying the "pushing hard" characterization, and saying that AI tools are used for ideation and rough composition, but not beyond that. "Holy fuck guys we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI," Vincke wrote. "We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I'm very proud of what they do. "I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists. "We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use Google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison." The CEO pointed to the Gamespot interview from April for further elaboration, and added that Larian has "hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests," but allows them to "experiment with these tools to make their lives easier."

Larian is using generative AI, confirms CEO, but Divinity won't contain anything AI-generated

Larian is using generative AI as part of its game development process, but CEO Swen Vincke has confirmed the studio's new Divinity game won't include anything AI-generated. Vincke discussed the topic of AI with Bloomberg, following the announcement last week at The Game Awards of its new Divinity game. It's the studio's next project following the hugely successful Baldur's Gate 3, which was a particularly expansive game. As such, the studio is looking to AI with its follow-up, but Vincke confirmed it hasn't massively improved efficiency. Larian uses AI tools to explore ideas, expand on internal presentations, develop concept art, and write placeholder text, Bloomberg reported. In Divinity, then, "everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves," said Vincke. And while the use of AI has led to some pushback internally, Vincke believes "at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it." Larian is aiming to cut down on development time for Divinity, to complete production in less time than Baldur's Gate 3. AI is one potential tool, while another is developing Divinity's quest and storylines in parallel rather than linearly. The studio is also growing in size. "I think a lot of founders have the same problem," said Vincke. "I have to be large, otherwise I can't make my video game. With growth suddenly comes a whole bunch of responsibilities that you didn't necessarily think you were ever gonna have, but you have them and then you make the best of them. Size exposes you to new problems that you couldn't imagine existed." Back at GDC last year, Vincke discussed the topic of AI with Eurogamer. "So, we certainly don't see it as a replacement for developers," he said. "But we do see it as something that allows us to do more stuff." He continued: "I do see it as an additional tool that you can put on top of the things that are in the game. And we're certainly doing experiments with that. But as I said, it's still far from being usable in that sense." In the same Bloomberg interview, Vincke declared Larian's forthcoming Divinity game as "us unleashed", confirming it will be a turn-based RPG.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Dev Says AI Is Here To Stay But Not Everyone Agrees

Industry veterans are weighing in after Larian received blowback for using generative AI in its workflow After comments this week from Larian CEO Swen Vincke revealing that the Baldur’s Gate 3 developer is using generative AI in its workflow prompted a massive backlash on social media, several developers have been weighing in. While Vincke said most of Larian’s workers were “okay†with how the team had integrated the technology, the public outcry from fans and developers told a different story. The latest games industry veterans to weigh in include Kingdom Come: Deliverance lead Daniel Vávra and ex-Naughty Dog director Bruce Straley, and both of them seem to think generative AI is here to stay in game development, though one of them is at least standing firm against the trend for now. Vávra posted a lengthy response to Vincke’s statements on X, saying that while he’s “no fan of of AI generated art,†detractors need to “face [the] reality†that it’s here to stay. You know what I hate most about making games? The fact that it takes 7 years and 300 people and tens of millions of dollars to make. And the fact that Tom had to spend 500 hours in the studio recording completely generic heckling and generic bars. If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it. That game will still have an art director, writers, programmers, graphic designers, but they won't have to do the tiresome and boring tasks, they'll have to focus on the essentials. I have ideas for lots of games, but I'm fifty years old and so far it's taken me seven years on average to make one game. If AI helps me realize those ideas faster, I'm all for it. Vávra goes on to raise a bunch of hypotheticals about being able to ask NPCs anything and the technology generating appropriate answers and so forth, as if human writers can’t generate something more interesting. Straley, meanwhile, also believes that generative AI is here to stay, but says that he’s taken a stance against it at Wildflower Interactive, though he admits that he might not be able to do so forever. “We don’t need AI,†Straley said in an interview with Kinda Funny. “I really do think it’s the demise of the human species. Our brainâ€|we need a frontal lobe. Hundreds of thousands of years of this supercomputer that’s built, and they’re making football fields and draining water supplies, etc. to try to replicate something that a human can already do. It just doesn’t make sense to me.†It’s nice to hear someone like Straley taking a stance against using generative AI, though it is disheartening to hear that he also thinks it’s an inevitability that it will stay in the industry. Vávra says that “absolutely everyone else is†using generative AI in some capacity in game development, and if that’s true now, it doesn’t have to be. You can want better for your creative medium than plagiarizing slop machines that leave talented people out of work. If believing that bad things don’t have to happen is foolish, then I’d rather be a fool than an AI shill.

Baldur's Gate 3 Maker Larian Studios Faces Backlash Over Generative AI Use

Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios is facing backlash from players after CEO and creative director Sven Vincke said the company used generative AI in its workflow. Under the executive, Larian has reportedly been "pushing hard" on generative AI, but Vincke said the technology has not led to a boost in efficiency. Speaking to Bloomberg just before last week's The Game Awards, Vincke talked about Larian's next project, the studio's policy on generative AI use, and the success of Baldur's Gate 3. The Larian Studios founder said the company has been using generative AI despite some pushback from staffers. "But I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it," he said. Divinity Won't Have AI-Generate Content Vincke admitted that AI had not dramatically improved Larian's efficiency. He also added that Larian's next game, Divinity, which was revealed at The Game Awards 2025, won't have any AI-generated content. "Everything is human actors," Vincke said, "we're writing everything ourselves". However, the executive said that artists and creators often used AI tools to play around and experiment with ideas, polish PowerPoint presentations, create concept art, and generate placeholder text. Since the publication of the interview on Tuesday, Vincke and Larian have faced criticism from fans and players online. While generative AI use is growing in game development, the technology is frowned upon by both creatives and players. Steam requires developers to disclose generative AI use on their game page so "customers can also understand how the game uses AI." Larian CEO Responds to Backlash Vincke, for his part, has responded to the backlash online and issued a clarification, saying AI use at Larian is not a substitute for artists and creatives. "Holy f* guys we're not "pushing hard" for or replacing concept artists with AI," he said on X Wednesday. "We have a team of 72 artists of which 23 are concept artists and we are hiring more. The art they create is original and I'm very proud of what they do. "I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn't say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists. "We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison." Vincke then shared a link for a separate interview where he detailed how Larian was using machine learning to do tasks that make developers' workflow easier. "We've hired creatives for their talent, not for their ability to do what a machine suggests, but they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier," he added. Divinity will be Larian's largest game yet Photo Credit: Larian Studios Generative AI in Game Development Generative AI has become a flashpoint in the gaming industry, with several companies pushing for the use of the technology to cut costs. EA's new investors, for instance, are reportedly betting big on AI to help the company cut operating costs significantly in the wake of its $55 billion leveraged buyout deal, which includes a $20 billion debt committed by JPMorgan. People involved in the deal told FT that AI-based cost cuts would boost EA's profits significantly in the coming years. Major AAA games released recently have faced backlash for using generative AI in development. Activision was criticised for putting "AI slop" in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which allegedly features a ton of AI-generated artwork. Embark Studios' extraction shooter Arc Raiders came under fire for the use of AI-generated voice lines. In a creative industry, however, the use of generative AI has become a point of contention between concept artists, voice actors, developers, and large studios. Earlier this year, video game voice actors, represented by the actors' union SAG-AFTRA, reached a deal with video game studios with a focus on AI protections. More recently, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick gave his take on AI in game development and said the technology won't be "very good" at making something like Grand Theft Auto. "Let's say there were no constraints (on AI). Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the 'Grand Theft Auto' marketing plan?" Zelnick said in an interview in October. "The answer is no. A, you can't do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn't end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative."

Legendary D&D designer tells Larian's AI critics to "maybe lighten up on the creatives who work their a*ses off day in and day out," says the RPG community he helped create "used to be a lot more appreciative"

Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian has been taking a lot of heat after revealing it's using AI for concept art and placeholder text in the new Divinity, even though it also assured fans there won't be any AI-generated content in the final game. Now, one of the most venerable names in the D&D community is stepping up in support of Larian. Robert Kuntz, one of the original D&D authors and designers whose work was foundational to the franchise and RPGs in general in the '70s, shared a tweet in defense of Larian and CEO Swen Vincke. "Fans of [Larian], Hey maybe lighten up on the creatives who work their arses off day in and day out?" said Kuntz. "Just a suggestion. It's sorta disappointing to see [Vincke] treated like some sort of outsider. I extend my personal well-wishes to the studio for their continued success." In a separate and lengthier tweet, Kuntz sweepingly labeled criticisms of Larian "eye-popping rage bait" from people with "bad actor syndrome." He also suggested RPG and D&D fans should be more appreciative of the people that produce games they enjoy. "The RPG gaming community, which I helped create and nurture 1972-1974+ onward, used to be a lot more appreciative of and civil with the creators of their hobby," he said. AI is obviously an extremely hot button issue right now, and Vincke himself has acknowledged that it "invokes a lot of emotion," insisting that Larian is only using it to better understand "the cutting edge." Just today, he said "a lot has become lost in translation" regarding his previous AI comments, and "it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies," and that an AMA is coming to help explain what the heck is going on. Because wouldn't we all like to know that?

Larian Studio Head Defends 'Additive' Gen AI Use After Backlash

The Baldur's Gate 3 studio promises its not using AI to cut corners Larian Studios is experimenting with generative AI and fans aren't too happy. The head of the Baldur's Gate 3 maker, Swen Vincke, released a new statement to try to explain the studio's stance in more detail and make clear the controversial tech isn't being used to cut jobs. "Any [Machine Learning] tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual’s workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft," he said. He was responding to a backlash that arose earlier today from a Bloomberg interview which reported that Larian was moving forward with gen AI despite some internal concerns among staff. Vincke made clear the tech was only being used for things like placeholder text, PowerPoint presentations, and early concept art experiments and that nothing AI-generated would be included in Larian's upcoming RPG, Divinity. The reaction on social media was swift. "Don't mind me, currently living through my personal 9/11," wrote one fan on Reddit. "Consider my feedback: I loved working at Larian until AI," wrote an artist who worked on BG3. "reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday. show your employees some respect. they are world-class & do not need AI assistance to come up with amazing ideas." Vincke has since tried to address those concerns in a long statement sent to IGN: We’ve been continuously increasing our pool of concept artists, writers and story-tellers, are actively putting together writer rooms, casting and recording performances from actors and hiring translators. Since concept art is being called out explicitly - we have 23 concept artists and have job openings for more. These artists are creating concept art day in day out for ideation and production use. Everything we do is incremental and aimed at having people spend more time creating. Any ML tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual’s workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft. We are researching and understanding the cutting edge of ML as a toolset for creatives to use and see how it can make their day-to-day lives easier, which will let us make better games. We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI. While I understand it's a subject that invokes a lot of emotion, it's something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse. The studio head reiterates that Larian is hiring more artists, not fewer, and that it's bulking up its creative resources for its upcoming game, not trying to cut corners with AI. There won't be AI in Divinity, Vincke has promised, and the aim is to help employees, not force the tech on them as some publishers like EA have reportedly been doing. But the statement doesn't necessarily address deeper divisions over generative AI tools, which many have likened to being plagiarism machines, and the skepticism that's bound to arise from letting it near game development at all. "Early Access and the way they managed their community across all their updates helped humanize that team in ways that only helped Baldur’s Gate 3, weird for the studio to be so willing to throw all that goodwill away," wrote former Giant Bomb host Jeff Gerstmann.

Larian Studios CEO Says "A Lot Has Become Lost in Translation" Over GenAI Backlash

If you could turn the clocks back a week from today, you'd return to a world where no one (at least publicly) was hurling vitriol and hate towards Larian Studios. Everyone was actually quite excited about what the studio had coming, since it had just announced a new Divinity game at The Game Awards, which was inarguably one of the biggest announcements of the night. In the week since that reveal, things have looked quite different from Larian, after an interview with Bloomberg (and several other outlets) with Larian's chief executive officer, Swen Vincke, revealed that Larian Studios was using generative AI technology in its development pipeline for Divinity. That admittance was the reason players criticized and chastised Larian Studios online, and the reason behind the recent stir of discussion of generative AI use in game development. Vincke has since responded to the backlash with a more formal statement sent to IGN and a less-formal statement posted to his account on X (formerly Twitter), where he exclaimed, "Holy f*** guys, we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI." Amidst the backlash, former developers who worked at Larian also stood up to comment on what the introduction of GenAI tech did for their experience working at the studio. Game writers and narrative designers have also stood up to call out Larian for its poor hiring practices, taking the chance to voice concerns they had held for some time, but refrained from speaking out against for fear of burning future professional opportunities and/or out of respect for the writers still working at Larian. On the other side, Warhorse Studios founder and creative director Daniel Vávra stood up to defend Larian, saying, "Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy sh*tstorm." Now, in what appears to be a final statement on the issue for 2025, Swen Vincke took to his personal X (formerly Twitter) account to speak on the matter once again. "It's been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation," Vincke began. "Larian's DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make." "In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes." Vincke goes on to say that the company will host an AMA event in the new year, giving those with concerns over Larian Studios using generative AI technology the chance to directly ask the studio whatever they want. No doubt that Vincke and he rest of the team at Larian would also hope that the AMA will be where they can explain themselves in a way that quells the vitriol we've seen towards Larian this past week.

Larian promises an AMA to clear up AI usage in the new year

You mention AI once and suddenly everyone's calling for your head. Swen Vincke, CEO at Baldur's Gate III and Divinity maker Larian Studios has found himself in hot water after a Bloomberg interview which revealed the team is allegedly "pushing hard" into AI. Vincke on Twitter/X specified that the team is using AI at Larian, but isn't replacing artists. You can read that whole debacle here, but it seems the controversy is still lingering around the studio like a bad smell. In another post, Vincke has again decided to clarify Larian's relationship with AI and the use of new technologies. "Larian's DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make," he writes. "In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes." An AMA will be held, featuring different departments showing how new technologies will be used for Divinity and other future projects. This will be held in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled for more information.

Baldur's Gate 3 director says "a lot has become lost in translation" since Divinity's announcement and the AI blowback that followed: "It would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies"

"Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make" Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke says "a lot has become lost in translation" since Larian's announcement of Divinity and the intense AI backlash that followed comments made by Vincke seemingly in embrace of AI in game development. When Divinity was announced at The Game Awards 2025, initial reactions ranged from intense anticipation, to disgust at some of the more explicit content, and confusion about whether the game will be a turn-based CRPG like the Original Sin games, or if it were an action-RPG like the Diablo-inspired early entries to the Divinity series. But, just a few days later, Vincke did a couple of interviews where he candidly explained how AI is helping accelerate Divinity's development. In short, you won't see any AI-generated content in the game, but AI is being used for placeholder text, concept art, and other tasks. "It's been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation," Vincke wrote in a tweet seemingly referencing the whole AI controversy. "Larian's DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players," Vincke added. "A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make. "In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes." If I'm reading this right, it sounds like Vincke is hinting at Larian potentially reconsidering its embrace of AI in the development of Divinity. Larian is one of the most beloved RPG developers of all time, and is usually pretty consistently on the right side of history - and even if its use of AI is entirely innocuous, it's a PR lose-lose. We'll know more after the holiday break, as Vincke confirmed there will be an AMA "featuring our different departments" where you'll have the chance to ask anything you want about Divinity's development, presumably including questions about AI.

Divinity Maker Is Uses Gen AI But Promises No Slop In Final Game

The RPG powerhouse promises no finished gen AI in the finished game Larian Studios is apparently bullish on generative AI. Despite backlash against the technology from fans and even some of his own developers, studio head Swen Vincke says the Baldur's Gate 3 maker has embraced it for exploring ideas and early prototyping of new content. Bloomberg reports that Larian has been "pushing hard on generative AI," using it for things like PowerPoint presentations, placeholder text, and even concept art. The RPG powerhouse has reportedly moved ahead with the tools even against the wishes of some staff at the company, though Vinke believes most of the team is on board with how it's currently being implemented. “But I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we’re using it,†he said. The Larian director also promised that no generative AI would make it into any finished games, like the studio's upcoming turned-based RPG Divinity. “Everything is human actors; we’re writing everything ourselves," Vinke told Bloomberg. This is in line with the veteran designer's previous comments on AI, which argued that human creativity will still be the defining factor behind great games: I don’t think you would have a competitive advantage if you do, because it’s gonna be what’s available to everybodyâ€"if the baseline goes up because generation is available to everybody? Fine, that’s a new reality that we’re in. But you’re still gonna wanna create something special on top of that, and I think that’s where teams like us will make the difference. I don’t think that people in my position that say â€~oh, we’ll replace everyone with AI’ are doing the right thing, they’re doing the wrong thing. But what I do think is we’re gonna jump forward in the kinds of games we makeâ€|we’re gonna be making our games differently, but to say that it’ll replace the craftsmanship? I think we’re very far from it. At the time, Vinke was talking about using AI tools to help spot plot inconsistencies across branching dialogue and sprawling networks of interacting narrative elements. But flagging potential issues is very different from using AI to generate material like concept art and even place holder text. A bit of AI slop copy made it into The Alters this year and briefly caused firestorm among players. Using any AI at all can immediately blurs the lines between creativity and plagiarism.

'Larian Said They Were Doing Something Absolutely Everyone Is Doing and Got an Insanely Crazy Sh*tstorm' - KCD 2 Dev Talks 'AI Hysteria'

Larian's admission that they are using generative AI in specific tasks (concept art, placeholder text, and PowerPoint presentations) while making the new Divinity game turned into a massive controversy, between the backlash of many fans who swear they won't touch their games unless they backtrack and the studio's own rebuttal and clarification that no AI-made content will reach the final game and no human will lose their job because of it. Now, the founder and creative director of a fellow RPG developer, Daniel Vávra of Warhorse (the makers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance), has shared his own thoughts on the topic. Vávra is not one to mince words (see his recent open criticism of Obsidian for The Outer Worlds 2), and he went all-out in this case, stating that Larian has just voiced what literally every developer is doing and adding that AI is, at this point, a reality we can't really come back from, despite a hysteria that he likened to people 'smashing steam engines' back at the time of the industrial revolution. This AI hysteria is the same as when people were smashing steam engines in the 19th century. Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy sh*tstorm. I've even seen someone accuse us of using AI in KCD2. I don't know anything about it, except that I used Topaz Labs to upscale some of the AI elements from KCD1 and some of the old low-res textures. I'm no fan of AI generated art, but anyway, it's time to face reality. AI is here to stay with us. As frightening as it may be, that's the way it is. Vávra then went on to say that he hates how long it takes, not to mention how many people and how much money are needed, to make videogames nowadays. If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it. That game will still have an art director, writers, programmers, graphic designers, but they won't have to do the tiresome and boring tasks, they'll have to focus on the essentials. I have ideas for lots of games, but I'm fifty years old and so far it's taken me seven years on average to make one game. If AI helps me realize those ideas faster, I'm all for it. This is essentially what Larian and other developers want to use it for. The gaming industry faces a significant challenge with rising budgets and increasingly long development timeframes, and the only viable solution is to smartly apply AI-powered tools where possible to reduce time spent on tedious, repetitive tasks. There is another potential course of action, of course: to greatly reduce either scope, quality, or both. For obvious reasons, none of the developers or publishers believe this would be a winning formula. In his lengthy X post, the Game Director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance also mentioned other potential use cases of generative AI in gaming, such as RPGs allowing players to ask certain NPCs anything (like in that Skyrim mod powered by Inworld AI technology) within the context of that game world. Moreover, he notes that soon AI will do the programming in games, with software architects overseeing that work, and 'resisting this is probably as meaningful as resisting the use of sewing machines in the textile industry.' Vávra concludes noting that AI may well ultimately bring about the demise of humanity as foreseen in Terminator, but it could also mean that virtually 'anyone, at a fraction of the current cost, will be able to implement virtually any grand idea. Making a game will be as easy as writing a book.' Either way, he says, there's no stopping it. Needless to say, this is the hottest topic not only in gaming but across most industries. Larian's reveal only served to bring it to the forefront of discussion, given their status as a revered developer after Baldur's Gate 3 (though a new attack on the studio just came in from several writers who criticized their hiring practices). Feel free to vote in the poll below and write your opinion in the comments!

Larian making big push into AI, but don't expect any AI-generated content in Divinity

We're not sure anyone expected this swing. Larian, the studio known for promoting the work of people in games and celebrating their achievements, appears to be pushing towards the use of generative AI in a big way. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has been leading the studio more towards the usage of AI. But, it's worth noting that he's said the new technology hasn't led to any big gains in efficiency, nor will it be used in the content of its upcoming game Divinity. "Everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves," Vincke said, adding that AI tools are used for exploring ideas, PowerPoint presentations, concept art and more. While we're on the topic of concept art, it seems that small line has been taken out of context, at least that's what Vincke himself outlined on Twitter/X. "Holy fuck guys we're not "pushing hard" for or replacing concept artists with AI," he wrote, adding that he's proud of the work of the studio's 23 concept artists and does not use AI to develop concept art. "We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison," he explained. Still, the AI inclusion at Larian hasn't gone down a treat with everyone. There was some pushback, but Vincke believes that the resistance has subsided. "I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it," he said.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead leaps to Baldur's Gate 3 devs' defense: "Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy s***storm"

As Larian Studios, the developer behind Baldur's Gate 3 and the upcoming Divinity game, continues to face backlash following CEO Swen Vincke's thoughts on the use of generative AI, others are speaking up in support - including the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director. For anyone out of the loop, it's been a wild week for Larian between The Game Awards 2025 reveal of the new Divinity project and subsequent controversy after Vincke's words on AI. In short, he admitted the studio does employ the technology in the very early stages of a game's conception - but not for any final art or element that makes it into production. Publishing director Michael 'Cromwelp' Douse concurred, saying the devs "don't use AI for art" at all. As is usually the case when something spins out of control online, Larian is still very much under fire on social media - but fans and fellow developers alike are now speaking up in support of the award-winning studio, including Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead Daniel Vávra. In response to Vincke's own explanation on how Larian uses AI, he writes, "This AI hysteria is the same as when people were smashing steam engines in the 19th century." Vávra continues: "Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy shitstorm." This sort of lines up with what others have been saying in replies - that "everyone" in the video game industry uses AI in one way or another to better streamline the work process or be more efficient, rather than to generate content that will actually make its way into the final version of any given project. The Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dev doesn't stop there, however - he goes on to discuss AI more broadly, first describing how he's "no fan of AI-generated art," but "it's time to face reality" as "AI is here to stay with us." Vávra also admits, "If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it." He concludes that, no matter what direction the tech goes, "there's no stopping it" in the end. AI, especially generative AI, has been quite the hot topic among developers and players alike recently. This doesn't come as much of a surprise, though - it's understandable that folks are concerned about their jobs and the authenticity of media, after all.

Larian Studios CEO Responds to Backlash Over GenAI Use, Says Its Use Is To Try and Make "Everyone's Working Day Better, Not Worse"

Larian Studios made quite the splash at The Game Awards 2025 when it revealed that its next project would be Divinity, a continuation of the other major fantasy RPG series under its belt, and the one that's actually bigger than Baldur's Gate 3. Even though the reveal was spoiled ahead of the actual show, it was still one of the night's highlights and had everyone excited about what's coming next from Larian. Now, the tone around Larian Studios has changed, just days after The Game Awards, thanks to some recent comments and confirmation from the studio's chief executive officer, Swen Vincke. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Vincke confirmed a few interesting tidbits about Divinity. Like Baldur's Gate 3, it'll be a turn-based RPG. Vincke also claimed that it'll be "way better" than Baldur's Gate 3, and the point that's making players upset online is that Vincke also confirmed Larian Studios has incorporated generative AI technology into its development pipeline. On generative AI use at Larian, Vincke admitted to Bloomberg that there's been some internal pushback in the studio, but concluded that "I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it." That may be true for some of its developers, but once the interview was live, it wasn't just players who are against generative AI use getting about Larian using the technology - it was also former Larian developers. Amidst comments like this from a former Larian Studios developer and several comments on Reddit and Bluesky, Vincke has responded to the backlash with a statement sent to IGN, where he tries to quell the concerns over how Larian is using generative AI and clarify that Larian isn't looking to replace any of its developers with generative AI technology, nor will it be releasing a game that includes content made by generative AI. Here's the full statement below, via IGN: "We've been continuously increasing our pool of concept artists , writers and story-tellers, are actively putting together writer rooms, casting and recording performances from actors and hiring translators. Since concept art is being called out explicitly - we have 23 concept artists and have job openings for more. These artists are creating concept art day in day out for ideation and production use. Everything we do is incremental and aimed at having people spend more time creating. Any ML (machine learning) tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual's workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft. We are researching and understanding the cutting edge of ML as a toolset for creatives to use and see how it can make their day-to-day lives easier, which will let us make better games. We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI. While I understand it's a subject that invokes a lot of emotion, it's something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse." In what you'd call less formal wording, Vincke also took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to the criticisms he and Larian Studios are facing over using generative AI. If nothing else, this whole debacle has proven that generative AI technology and its use in game development are still hot-button issues that can have players turning on you in a flash. Some people, generally studio heads and company leaders, are not only fine with using GenAI, but they're also pushing for it everywhere. Studios are already experimenting with it and using it in games that are currently available for you to buy right now, games that have sold millions of copies. Others don't think it should be used at all, and others are calling it a crutch or a sign of someone who isn't very creative to begin with, if they feel the need to use generative AI. Whatever side of the debate you are on, it's clear that people care about generative AI being used in games. The question remains, though, will they care enough to vote with their wallets against developers who continue to use the tech, even ones that they previously loved? Apropos of nothing, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive was caught earlier this year having used generative AI tech for assets that made it into the final game. The studio never acknowledged the complaints and quietly patched them out. Just a few days ago, it won a record number of awards at The Game Awards, including Game of the Year, and according to Alinea Analytics, sold another 200,000 copies following the show.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead says AI "may mean the demise of humanity" and the "end of most big publishers," but if "AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it"

In the wake of Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian's controversial comments on the use of AI in the new Divinity, as well as GOTY winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's own use of AI resurfacing, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead writer Daniel Vávra has opted to share his own take on the future of AI in games - and it's genuinely terrifying. "I'm no fan of AI generated art, but anyway, it's time to face reality. AI is here to stay with us. As frightening as it may be, that's the way it is," said Vávra in a nearly 700-word Twitter tirade. "Personally, it scares me the most in the music because you can't even recognise AI there anymore." That's not the scary part, by the way. The scary part was when he predicted AI could bring about the end of humankind. But hey, at least it'll be easier to make video games for those of us who make it through the apocalypse. "The whole AI revolution may mean the demise of humanity, nobody knows now, but it may also mean that ANYONE, at a fraction of the current cost, will be able to implement virtually any grand idea," Vávra said. "Making a game will be as easy as writing a book. There will be more games. We'll see the return of niche genres. Some games will be better. Maybe just a few. There will be also lot of trash. But who cares? There is lots of average trash in books or music for years." Of course, there's no predicting the trajectory of AI - not only in the games industry, but on a much more existential level, too. Not everyone's as bullish as Vávra, who seems assured AI will be as revolutionary as the most formative inventions of the industrial age. "Resisting this is probably as meaningful as resisting the use of sewing machines in the textile industry," he said. "Or going back to riding on horses while we could use planes and cars. How many horse breeders lost their jobs thanks to Henry Ford!?" Specifically, Vávra said "programmers have a problem" and "most big publishers" are going the way of the dodo, along with "Hollywood as we know it," but at age 50, the seasoned game developer has fully embraced AI as a way to bring his ideas to life more efficiently. "If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it." As much as it's natural to bristle at the thought of AI reducing team sizes, Vávra at least seems to be referring largely to non-generative AI here, adding, "That game will still have an art director, writers, programmers, graphic designers, but they won't have to do the tiresome and boring tasks, they'll have to focus on the essentials." One very specific feature he envisions becoming a product of advanced AI in games are NPCs with endless interaction variety. "Wouldn't it be nice if you could ask ANYONE ANYTHING in an RPG? Like, maybe someone for the road directions?" he said. "Or what they think of their neighbors? We already have tools (11labs can do it) where you script a NPC, their character, their knowledge and opinions and then they talk to you about anything. "For non-story stuff, this is an absolutely revolutionary development from a player's point of view. And you can't record it with an actor because it has INFINITE variations. But what you can record are cutscenes and story dialogue. You dont need an Oscar level performance when ordering a sausage in a pub or when asking how to get to the castle." OK, so he definitely seems on-board with some level of generative AI for performances in games here, which, uh, is a little controversial. Even a producer at Larian recently spoke out against relegating minor voice lines to AI, saying it takes away opportunities from up and coming actors.

Baldur's Gate 3 Developer Will Hold Fan Q&A About Dev Processes Following AI Backlash, And Says It Will 'Make Changes' to Processes That 'Fail to Align With Who We Are'

Following multiple days of criticism from fans and fellow game developers over the studio's use of generative AI, Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity maker Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has announced an AMA (Ask Me Anything, typically on Reddit) in the new year, inviting people to ask members of different Larian departments "any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly." In a post to Twitter/X, Vincke said that since the announcement of the studio's next game, Divinity, at The Game Awards last week, "a lot has become lost in translation." He continued, saying that "Larian's DNA is agency" and said it would be irresponsible of the studio not to "evaluate new technologies," presumably referring to the generative AI discussion that started the controversy. But he also appeared to backpedal somewhat on the idea, adding that "our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes." Vincke's full statement is below: It's been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation. Larian's DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make. In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes. To give you more insight, we'll do an AMA featuring our different departments after the holiday break, in which you'll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly. We'll announce the date in the new year. In the meantime, I wish you all happy holidays! Vincke's statement comes in response to criticism of his own remarks in interviews following the announcement of a new Divinity last week. In a Bloomberg interview, Vincke admitted that Larian has been pushing generative AI internally, even though it hasn't led to gains in efficiency or speed. Some examples given included using the technology for brainstorming, PowerPoint presentations, pitching concept art, and writing placeholder text. In response, a number of players across various social platforms, as well as game developers and even former Larian employees criticized the studio, arguing that the listed uses for generative AI at Larian either seemed like things that didn't benefit from generative AI at all (such as placeholder text), or alternatively were key parts of the artistic process and would suffer from not having humans at the helm throughout (concept art). Vincke then responded with multiple statements, one given to us, and another posted on Twitter/X, where he claimed that critics were misunderstanding what Larian was doing and that "We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI." We also had our own interview with Vincke about Divinity, which you can read in full here. Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].

"Show your employees some respect": Former Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity devs claim Larian heads are "lying about people being okay" with using AI

Larian Studios, the developer behind Baldur's Gate 3 and the upcoming Divinity game, is facing backlash following CEO Swen Vincke's statements on the use of generative AI - but that's not all, as former employees are sharing their own thoughts now. It's been a wild week for Larian, between the reveal of its new Divinity entry at The Game Awards 2025 and the subsequent controversy over Vincke's words on AI - words in which he says "at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way" Larian uses the technology. He later expanded on this, stating devs only employ AI during "the very early ideation stages" and not for the final product. Publishing director Michael 'Cromwelp' Douse spoke out on the matter, too, explaining that Larian devs "don't use AI for art" and admitting, "I'm not entirely sure we are the ideal target for the level of scorn." Despite this, the community is still sharing its frustrations regarding any AI being on the table at all - and this apparently includes former studio employees as well. Anne Méthot, who worked as a QA tester at Larian for four years, is one example. "LOL. As someone who's worked there four years, I'm not surprised," she writes in a post, responding to Vincke's initial statement on AI - specifically the part about "everyone at the company" not minding using the tech. "He's lying about people being okay with it," claims the former dev, who now works for Big Fan Games and Good Shepherd Entertainment. She isn't the only ex-Larian employee to feel this way, either. Selena Tobin, who acted as a junior 3D environment artist at Larian for about a year and a half (as per her LinkedIn) and now works with League of Legends developer Riot Games, has a thread of her own in which she replies to Vincke's words. "Consider my feedback: I loved working at Larian Studios until AI. Reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday. Show your employees some respect." consider my feedback: i loved working at @larianstudios.com until AI. reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday. show your employees some respect. they are world-class & do not need AI assistance to come up with amazing ideas. -- @anoxicart.bsky.social ( @anoxicart.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T16:34:18.559Z Tobin concludes with her thoughts on the current Larian devs, saying, "They are world-class and do not need AI assistance to come up with amazing ideas." Countless other posts show fans - and folks who claim to have some sort of previous experience with Larian - agreeing with the sentiment that the studio is good enough without AI and shouldn't use it in any capacity, and it's not all that surprising to see. Generative AI has a rocky reputation, at best, with most people, thanks to how it grabs from all sorts of sources - with permission or not - to produce responses or artwork. Here's hoping everything smooths out on the Larian side of things, though... Divinity's underway, after all.

Larian CEO Responds to Divinity Gen AI Backlash: 'We Are Neither Releasing a Game With Any AI Components, Nor Are We Looking at Trimming Down Teams to Replace Them With AI' - IGN

AI is "something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse." This morning, the news broke that Larian Studios, developer of Baldur's Gate 3 and the upcoming, just-announced Divinity, is apparently using generative AI behind the scenes for things like concept art and placeholder text. The backlash has been swift and loud from the gaming community, and now Larian founder and game director Swen Vincke is responding to clarify his remarks, affirming that Larian is "neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI," and that AI is "something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse." The original news comes from a Bloomberg interview with Vincke. In it, Vincke admits that Larian is "pushing hard" [Bloomberg's phrasing] on generative AI, even though it hasn't led to big gains in efficiency. Specifically, the studio is using the technology to "explore ideas, flesh out PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art and write placeholder text." [Bloomberg's phrasing]. Vincke reassures that there won't be any AI-generated content in the final version of Divinity. "Everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves." But it sounds like this approach isn't going over smoothly with everyone. Bloomberg's piece acknowledges that some internally at Larian have pushed back, though Vincke says, "I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it." This news hasn't gone over super well with the community, though. On Bluesky, Larian is being lambasted by a number of individuals across the game development community, including some former Larian employees. "consider my feedback: i loved working at @larianstudios.com until AI," writes Selena Tobin, an environment artist and former Larian employees. "reconsider and change your direction, like, yesterday. show your employees some respect. they are world-class & do not need AI assistance to come up with amazing ideas." The Divinity and Baldur's Gate 3 communities have a somewhat more divided reaction, with some defending its use for concepting, though there's still a significant amount of backlash. A few commenters have pointed out that games such as The Alters suffered from significant fan anger over discovered generative AI use, but are willing to forgive Larian for the same offense. In response to this backlash, Vincke has issued IGN a lengthy follow-up response, which we've published here in full: We've been continuously increasing our pool of concept artists , writers and story-tellers, are actively putting together writer rooms, casting and recording performances from actors and hiring translators. Since concept art is being called out explicitly - we have 23 concept artists and have job openings for more. These artists are creating concept art day in day out for ideation and production use. Everything we do is incremental and aimed at having people spend more time creating. Any ML tool used well is additive to a creative team or individual's workflow, not a replacement for their skill or craft. We are researching and understanding the cutting edge of ML as a toolset for creatives to use and see how it can make their day-to-day lives easier, which will let us make better games. We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI. While I understand it's a subject that invokes a lot of emotion, it's something we are constantly discussing internally through the lens of making everyone's working day better, not worse. This discussion comes amid a slate of interviews with Vincke following the announcement of Larian's next game, Divinity, at The Game Awards last week. We had our own interview with Vincke, which you can read in full here, and elsewhere Vincke has confirmed Divinity will in fact be a turn-based RPG. We've been slowly compiling everything we know about Divinity so far right here.

As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's AI use resurfaces amid backlash against Larian, Divinity lead says "we have good QA and leads" to fans questioning if the RPG will accidentally ship with AI assets

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke recently ignited an explosion of online drama after admitting that the Divinity maker had begun using AI in production, even if he was adamant that the final game wouldn't launch with any content actually made by AI. Now, the studio's publishing lead has responded to fans worried about Divinity accidentally releasing with AI-generated bits, as was the case with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Alters. For context, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's producer Francois Meurisse revealed that the team did in fact "use some AI, but not much" while making the game of the year winner, per an El Pais interview that's been making the rounds on social media as of late. The fact that Clair Obscur shipped with what seemed to be AI-generated art, which was quickly scrubbed via a patch, also resurfaced, even though game director Guillaume Broche insisted that his team rejected the tech in creative contexts. That all led to Divinity's publishing director, Michael Douse, being asked how the Baldur's Gate 3 developer would avoid the same fate if it were employing AI in the early phases of development: "It's the same as when photo-bashing makes it in," Douse tweeted, referring to the tech that lets digital artists blend 3D assets with real photographs or textures, usually employed by concept artists and such. "I remember I think it was a Hitman game that once included an actual photo of a dead guy. Fucking unfortunate. Between a dead guy and the alternative idk man. We have good QA and leads." What Douse might be remembering was the time when TellTale's Batman: The Enemy Within made a whoopsie and launched with an image of a real-world Russian ambassador who was shot and killed... in 2017. Photo-bashing is a fairly frequently employed technique in game dev, but it's not one that often leads to corpses showing up in final products, so I'm not too convinced that Larian's only options are "between a dead guy" and using tech that raises serious ethical and environmental questions.

Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity director says he's not "pushing hard" for AI, the studio is actively hiring artists, and "I don't actually think it accelerates things"

Following significant backlash, Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke's stance on the use of AI for Larian's next game, Divinity, has been outlined further. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier shared the full transcript of his discussion with Vincke about AI after his article claimed "Larian has been pushing hard on generative AI." During that interview, Vincke confirmed that generative AI was being used for Divinity's "white-boxing", a term used to describe early parts of the development process during which devs attempt to get a feel for the game without using finalized assets. Vincke says that concept artists and scripters can use AI if they choose. For artists, the technology is used "the same way they would use photos" for ideation. For scripters, some "will probably use ChatGPT" to create "stub text," but others are free to "write it themselves." Vincke says it's up to each individual employee to decide how to use AI. Vincke also says that he's not seeing some of the benefits often attributed to AI. While he claims that "experimentation is broader" using the technology, it's not making the development process faster. "I'm not 100% sure if you're actually seeing speed-ups that much," he explains. "You're trying more stuff. Having tried stuff out, I don't actually think it accelerates things." Suggesting that "there's a lot of hype" around AI, he also admits "I haven't really seen 'oh, this is really gonna replace things'." Larian has around 30 concept artists, and recently "bought a boutique concept art firm at the moment that everybody was reducing them because they were going to AI." Vincke also says that "everything is human actors; we are writing everything ourselves. There are no generated assets that you're gonna see in-game. We are trying to use generated assets to accelerate white-boxing [...] we're talking about basic things to help the level designers." Vincke admits that even when content is AI-generated, "you still will always have to alter it yourself," and that he uses the technology to help improve his communication as a non-native English speaker. In the wake of yesterday's backlash, Larian has been attempting to clarify its use of generative AI. Both Vincke and publishing director Michael Douse have pointed out that the studio outlined its approach back in April. On social media, Douse - who labelled AI artists as "insufferable" as recently as last month - suggested that the technology was a "tool" like any other, and that developers were free to choose whether they used it or not. Also on social media, Vincke hit back by saying "we're not 'pushing hard' for or replacing concept artists with AI," and said that "at the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art."

Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity publishing lead says "I'm not entirely sure we are the ideal target for the level of scorn" as backlash hits Larian over AI stance: "We don't use AI for art"

The developers behind Baldur's Gate 3 and the upcoming Divinity game, Larian Studios, are facing backlash following CEO Swen Vincke's statements on the use of generative AI during development - but they're prepared to clear the air. Publishing director Michael 'Cromwelp' Douse has taken to social media to respond to fans' questions (and criticism) regarding the controversial technology and its place in Larian's own development process. In his first reply, he writes, "Back in April, our stance on AI in workflows was established, so I'm not sure why this is coming up now as a controversy (the timing of it!). We continue to hire people across all departments, not trim." He continues: "Our goal is to make life better for individual workflows, not worse. We want to make better games that don't feature AI content in them, where much of the industry will feature AI content. We want everyone to have fulfilling, creative roles & keep their jobs, in an industry of mass layoffs. In other words, I'm not entirely sure we are the ideal target for the level of scorn." Does everyone at the studio agree, though? "It's a company of 500 people. That's a village. In a village, you're gonna have people who disagree," explains Douse. "However, if there were some mass dissent or mandated nefarious workflow, it would all fall apart. You don't make a 97-rated game without everyone broadly being on the same page." The publishing lead then describes just how Larian uses AI - and no, it's not for any of the actual art that makes its way into the studio's games. "We don't use AI for art," he says in a follow-up post, "we have people who create art, and they use various tools at their disposal to do that. This is normal industry practice. They dream, they conceive, they paint. It's theirs." Douse doubles down on this in another response to somebody asking what this all means, stating that Larian employs AI much like one would Google, any other search engine, or online library. "It means, for example, that an artist might have an idea, or someone else may want to express a base idea they don't know how to express, and so instead of scrolling Google for hours or typing it out, they'll generate their idea so an artist can better picture what they're trying to say. It is a way of talking to each other. And then the artist will go and do their job of making art. Instead of photo-bashing to express, for example." The dev expands on this in other replies, too, assuring, "We have concept artists... they create original concept art. The idea that every concept artist starts from AI-generated art and that this is handed down to them is not true. It's a tool that can be used between teams to express ideas if they want to..." As for why some members of the team use it, it's "because they want to... and if someone doesn't, they won't. It isn't that deep." Douse further details, "The goal of any tool is to enable someone to work better, and as a result create a better game in a way that feels both more rewarding & retains more jobs. Our goal is to make people's QOL better and create great games." He concludes, "When people are out for blood, they will get it." That doesn't take away from Larian's process, though, and their "job" is to focus on releasing great games. "Ultimately, our job is not to tell people what they should or should not think but to do right by our teams and make the best games we can possibly make, and that's what we'll do." I'd argue, at the least, Larian does indeed make the best games it could, AI controversy aside.

Despite the initial pushback, Larian is making Divinity with the help of AI, but you won't see it in-game: "Everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves"

Larian boss Swen Vincke says "I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it" Larian CEO Swen Vincke has confirmed the studio's use of AI in regard to the development of Divinity. Generative AI in games is obviously a hot-button topic. While some fully AI-generated games shown off are embarrassingly bad, many developers have taken to using it as only part of their development process. Notably, the massively popular Arc Raiders and the not-so-popular Black Ops 7 have both faced backlash over AI usage, while Running With Scissors cancelled a new Postal spinoff following backlash over alleged AI use. Meanwhile, some, like Hideo Kojima, have spoken about using AI as a tool to boost efficiency while keeping the slop machine away from any of a game's creative aspects. Speaking to Bloomberg, Swen Vincke spoke about his wish to get Divinity out quicker than the six years it took Baldur's Gate 3 to release. He stresses the importance of creatives, saying, "The creative process itself actually is something you cannot accelerate," and adding that Divinity will not include generative AI content at release: "Everything is human actors; we're writing everything ourselves." However, the studio has been using AI tools to create placeholder text, develop concept art, and for other tasks during development. While the use of Gen AI has had some pushback at the studio, Vincke notes that "I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we're using it." Of course, with a game as big as Divinity, this also means the team will have to be on the lookout if it wants to make sure it ships with no Gen AI content, as even the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had some slip through the cracks before they were swiftly patched out. Notably, Baldur's Gate 3 leads Jennifer English and Neil Newbon have both been outspoken about the use of AI-generated content for the creative aspects of development, with English saying, "I get it that AI is a tool. I get it, but not to replace creativity." While Newbon notes the fact that AI voices "sound crap," and argues it would be just as cheap to actually pay actors for small roles, like Larian did for one Jennifer English back in Divinity: Original Sin 2.