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Baldur's Gate 3 Developer Larian Studios Says It Uses Generative AI, CEO Responds to Backlash

Baldur's Gate 3 Developer Larian Studios Says It Uses Generative AI, CEO Responds to Backlash

Larian Studios CEO Sven Vincke said the company's next game, Divinity, won’t have any AI-generated content.

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 17 December 2025 12:51 IST

Baldur's Gate 3 Developer Larian Studios Says It Uses Generative AI, CEO Responds to Backlash

Photo Credit: Larian Studios

Larian's next game, Divinity, was revealed at The Game Awards 2025

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Highlights

Larian Studios said it used AI to create concept art, placeholder text
Divinity will be Larian Studios' largest game yet
Larian CEO Sven Vincke responded to backlash over 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.

Take-Two CEO Says AI Won't Be 'Very Good' at Making a Game Like GTA

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.”

This is disappointing, especially from a studio that has mocked the use of gen AI. It doesn't matter if it's only being used for tiny things or that none of it will be in the final product. Ppl adore Larian, you really want to lose all that goodwill over AI slop? https://t.co/f7oArHmvVC pic.twitter.com/AC7wWunzEF
— Songbird (Tadpoled) in 7.3 (@SongbirdN7) December 16, 2025

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.

Battlefield 6 Does Not Include Content Made by Generative AI, Says EA

“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.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney Is Not a Fan of AI Tags in Video Games; Explains Why

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.

Black Ops 7 Faces Backlash Over Alleged GenAI Use for In-Game Artwork

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.”

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Further reading: Larian Studios, Baldurs Gate 3, Divinity, AI, Generative AI

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More