Larian Says Divinity Won't Ship With AI Content After Backlash

Larian Studios is making a new Divinity game. And because it’s 2025, the internet immediately asked one question: “So… is this going to be full of AI stuff?”

After backlash over comments about generative AI, Larian CEO Swen Vincke sent a follow-up statement that’s basically: no AI-generated content in the shipped game, and no, we’re not replacing humans with bots. If you care about voice acting, writing, and art staying human-made, this is the bit you were waiting for.

(If you missed the earlier tease, here’s our take on that weird Game Awards statue rumour: The Game Awards “Hell Statue” mystery.)

What triggered the backlash

The blow-up started after an interview where Vincke discussed how Larian has been experimenting with generative AI tools during development.

• The tools were described as being used for things like:
  • exploring ideas
  • helping with presentations
  • placeholder text
  • early visual exploration

A lot of players read that and went straight to worst-case assumptions: AI-written quests, AI-made art, and fewer jobs for artists and writers. That’s the context for why Vincke felt the need to be very specific in his follow-up.

What Larian is promising about Divinity

Vincke’s follow-up response is pretty direct: the shipped game won’t contain AI-generated content and Larian isn’t cutting staff to replace them with AI.

• Key points from the response and coverage:
  • No “AI components” in the released game
  • No plan to trim teams to swap people out for AI
  • Ongoing hiring across creative roles
  • Human writing and human performances remain the plan

In plain terms: Larian is trying to keep trust intact before Divinity even gets properly shown. After Baldur’s Gate 3, the studio has a reputation for doing things the hard (and good) way — and fans clearly don’t want that diluted.

So what AI tools are they using, exactly?

This is where the wording matters. Larian’s position (as reported across multiple outlets) is that ML tools can be used as support in early workflow stages — not as a replacement for final creative output.

• The “safe” uses being discussed include:
  • brainstorming and exploring directions
  • placeholder text that later gets rewritten
  • reference material for early ideation
  • presentation support (yes, even game studios suffer PowerPoint)

There’s also a specific sore point around concept art. Vincke’s pushback is that Larian has real concept artists (reportedly 23 of them) producing actual work, and that any AI use is not there to replace their output.

Why this matters for fans (and for the industry)

Divinity was unveiled at The Game Awards 2025, and it’s being framed as a huge next step for Larian. That also makes it a very visible test case for how big studios talk about AI without setting off a fire alarm.

• Why people care:
  • Writing and voice acting are central to Larian’s style
  • RPG fans notice “cheap” content fast
  • The games industry has a real trust problem on AI right now
  • Creators want clarity: tooling vs replacement

Also, from a UAE point of view: Game Awards reveals land overnight here. If you’re following the show, the easiest way to keep up is our running tag page: TGA 2025 coverage.

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