Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke Clarifies Use of Generative AI in Game Development
Larian Studios, the acclaimed developer behind hits like Baldur’s Gate and Divinity, has been at the center of debate concerning the role of generative AI in game development.
The discussion arose after an interview with Larian CEO Swen Vincke was published by Bloomberg ahead of last week’s Game Awards, where Vincke discussed the studio’s approach to new technology and its roadmap for the next installment in the Divinity franchise.
The interview sparked controversy across gaming industry circles when mention was made of Larian's exploration into generative AI during the planning phase of development. Amid the growing discourse, Swen Vincke took to social media to clarify Larian Studios’ stance.
In a detailed Twitter post, Vincke stated, “We’re not ‘pushing hard’ to implement or replace concept artists with AI.
When asked explicitly about concept art and our use of generative AI, I explained that we use it as a tool to explore possibilities.
Development of concept art remains the work of our world-class artists.” This statement sought to correct misconceptions propagated by some interpretations of the initial interview. To reinforce his message, Vincke provided an official statement to IGN, emphasizing that, “Larian is neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at reducing staff or replacing employees with AI solutions.” He added that the studio continuously discusses AI internally, always focusing on improving the team’s daily work experience, not diminishing it.
This clarification appeared to contrast with the original Bloomberg discussion, which some readers saw as suggesting a broader push toward automation. Following the escalation, Jason Schreier, the Bloomberg journalist behind the interview, published portions of his transcript for added transparency.
According to these notes, Vincke compared the use of generative AI to trends in automation, noting that technology adoption remains inevitable in the industry, but that it hasn’t yet delivered substantial productivity gains for Larian’s workflow. This episode at Larian Studios initiates a broader industry conversation about the appropriate uses of AI in game development.
While companies like Sega have publicly acknowledged the selective adoption of AI for development tasks—and Square Enix has announced plans to automate aspects of QA by 2027—other studios, such as Nintendo, have firmly stated that AI-generated assets were not used in flagship releases like Mario Kart World. As game developers confront rising production costs and look for new efficiencies, the debate around generative AI, automation, and preserving creative roles in studios is only set to intensify.
Larian Studios’ commitment to retaining artistic integrity while cautiously exploring new tools will be watched closely by both fans and industry observers, particularly as development continues for their anticipated projects on platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and beyond.
The discussion arose after an interview with Larian CEO Swen Vincke was published by Bloomberg ahead of last week’s Game Awards, where Vincke discussed the studio’s approach to new technology and its roadmap for the next installment in the Divinity franchise.
The interview sparked controversy across gaming industry circles when mention was made of Larian's exploration into generative AI during the planning phase of development. Amid the growing discourse, Swen Vincke took to social media to clarify Larian Studios’ stance.
In a detailed Twitter post, Vincke stated, “We’re not ‘pushing hard’ to implement or replace concept artists with AI.
When asked explicitly about concept art and our use of generative AI, I explained that we use it as a tool to explore possibilities.
Development of concept art remains the work of our world-class artists.” This statement sought to correct misconceptions propagated by some interpretations of the initial interview. To reinforce his message, Vincke provided an official statement to IGN, emphasizing that, “Larian is neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at reducing staff or replacing employees with AI solutions.” He added that the studio continuously discusses AI internally, always focusing on improving the team’s daily work experience, not diminishing it.
This clarification appeared to contrast with the original Bloomberg discussion, which some readers saw as suggesting a broader push toward automation. Following the escalation, Jason Schreier, the Bloomberg journalist behind the interview, published portions of his transcript for added transparency.
According to these notes, Vincke compared the use of generative AI to trends in automation, noting that technology adoption remains inevitable in the industry, but that it hasn’t yet delivered substantial productivity gains for Larian’s workflow. This episode at Larian Studios initiates a broader industry conversation about the appropriate uses of AI in game development.
While companies like Sega have publicly acknowledged the selective adoption of AI for development tasks—and Square Enix has announced plans to automate aspects of QA by 2027—other studios, such as Nintendo, have firmly stated that AI-generated assets were not used in flagship releases like Mario Kart World. As game developers confront rising production costs and look for new efficiencies, the debate around generative AI, automation, and preserving creative roles in studios is only set to intensify.
Larian Studios’ commitment to retaining artistic integrity while cautiously exploring new tools will be watched closely by both fans and industry observers, particularly as development continues for their anticipated projects on platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and beyond.
