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.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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