Larian Studios, the Belgian developer best known for the Divinity and Baldur’s Gate series, has publicly responded to criticism and concern following an announcement related to a generative-AI-enabled Divinity project. CEO Swen Vincke issued a statement to clarify that the studio has no intention of releasing a game built with AI components as the core product and is not planning to downsize teams in order to substitute human developers with artificial intelligence.

Vincke’s remarks came after social media and community discussion erupted over the wording in Larian’s announcement and subsequent reporting that suggested the studio might use generative AI tooling in development workflows or in consumer-facing features. Fans and industry observers expressed anxiety that such use could signal larger industry trends toward automation and job cuts.

What Larian Said

In his response, Vincke emphasized two points: Larian is not “releasing a game with any AI components,” and it is not “looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI.” The phrasing was aimed at confronting the most immediate concerns voiced by players and studio employees—namely, that AI might be used to produce the final game content or to make human roles redundant.

The studio framed any generative-AI usage as supportive tooling rather than as a substitute for human creative and technical labor. According to Larian’s public account, such tools—if used—would be to accelerate certain internal tasks or augment workflows while preserving human oversight and authorship of core creative decisions.

Community Reaction and Industry Context

The response from Larian arrived amid a broader, ongoing industry debate about generative AI’s role in game development. Many developers and players have voiced fears that AI could be used to automate writing, art, or other creative work—threatening jobs and lowering quality—while some studios and tool-makers advocate for AI as a productivity aid that can reduce repetitive tasks and accelerate iteration.

On social channels, reactions ranged from relief among fans reassured by Larian’s commitment to human-driven development, to skepticism from observers who want clearer, written policies and transparency about where and how AI is used in production. A number of industry commentators say that concrete, public documentation of AI uses—what tasks, what safeguards, and what quality control is in place—will be essential to rebuild trust where it has frayed.

How Studios Typically Use AI Tools

When game studios discuss AI in non-controversial contexts, they typically describe a set of limited, internal applications: procedural content generation to create placeholder assets or level-blockers, AI-assisted authoring tools that help with iteration speed, or utility tools for localization and QA—tasks that still require human supervision and refinement. Larian’s portrayal of AI as supportive rather than central fits within this pattern.

However, advocates for worker protections and unions in the creative industries have pushed for explicit agreements that prohibit AI from being used to replace employees, demand transparency about datasets and model training, and seek guarantees around credit and compensation when creators’ work influences AI outputs. These demands have shaped conversations about acceptable AI practice across entertainment sectors.

What Comes Next

Industry watchers say the next step for studios facing similar controversy is to publish clear, specific policies about AI use—what precise tasks it will assist with, what approval processes exist, whether worker consent or bargaining was involved, and how the studio will audit outputs for quality and copyright compliance. Larian’s public reassurance addresses the immediate fears, but some stakeholders will likely continue to press for documentation and firm contractual protections for staff and creators.

For players, the short-term effect appears to be heightened scrutiny of future announcements: fans will be watching both for explicit references to AI features in product descriptions and for signals that studios are prioritizing human-led design and storytelling.