Larian Studios confirms the use of generative AI for Divinity, emphasizing no plans to reduce team sizes for automation.
Larian Studios, known for its work on Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin, stirred up a mix of excitement and concern with the announcement of its upcoming RPG, Divinity, at a recent awards show. However, comments from co-founder and game designer Swen Vincke have dialed back some of that enthusiasm, revealing that the studio is incorporating generative AI into the game’s development process.
In a conversation with an outlet, Vincke explained that while Larian is using generative AI for specific tasks—like enhancing presentations, creating concept art, and drafting placeholder text—the final content in Divinity will be crafted by human hands. “We’re writing everything ourselves,” he emphasized.
Despite these reassurances, the news of AI integration has sparked backlash among some fans. Following the report, another outlet sought clarification from Larian regarding Vincke’s remarks. He responded with a detailed statement:
“We’ve been steadily expanding our team of concept artists, writers, and storytellers, actively forming writer rooms, casting actors, and hiring translators. Specifically for concept art, we currently have 23 artists and are looking to bring on more. These artists are consistently generating concept art for both ideation and production.”
Vincke further noted, “Our approach is incremental, aimed at allowing our team to focus more on creativity. Any machine learning tool we use is meant to enhance a creative team’s workflow, not replace their skills. We’re exploring the latest in machine learning as a resource for creatives, helping to streamline their daily tasks, which ultimately leads to better games.”
He clarified that Larian is not planning to release a game with AI-generated components, nor is it looking to downsize teams in favor of AI. “I understand this topic can evoke strong feelings, but our discussions are centered on improving everyone’s work experience, not diminishing it.”
Vincke elaborated further, stating, “We’re not ‘pushing hard’ to replace concept artists with AI. We utilize AI tools for reference exploration, similar to how we use Google and art books. In the early stages of ideation, we might use AI for rough outlines, but these are always replaced with original concept art. Our hires are based on talent, not on following machine suggestions; they can use these tools to enhance their workflow.”
This perspective isn’t entirely new; earlier this year, Vincke discussed Larian’s stance on generative AI and machine learning in an interview. He outlined three primary uses: automating tedious tasks like motion capture cleaning, facilitating rapid iteration through a process called white boxing, and exploring new gameplay possibilities—though he admitted they aren’t quite there yet.
Vincke stressed that the areas of creation that typically raise concerns about generative AI—such as visuals, writing, and music—are not where Larian is cutting back. Instead, the studio is expanding its efforts in these domains while using AI to tackle complexity and automation.
He mentioned, “We’re looking into narrative validation, which helps us ensure that the choices players make lead to coherent outcomes. While this automation isn’t perfect yet, it’s a step toward organizing our processes to speed up iteration.”
Whether Vincke’s insights will ease the minds of fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin, or sway those opposed to generative AI to give Divinity a chance, remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the only “slop” in the final version of Divinity will be the kind that in-game hogs will happily devour. That scene in the trailer was definitely memorable!
