"Holy f*** guys": Larian boss shuts down AI fears for Divinity

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke confirms the upcoming Divinity game won't use generative AI for concept art or writing following community backlash.

We all loved Baldur’s Gate 3 because it felt handcrafted. Every interaction, dialogue option, and weird goblin encounter felt like a human wrote it. So when Larian Studios started talking about "exploring" AI for their next Divinity game, gamers got nervous.

It turns out, we can put the pitchforks down. Larian has clarified exactly how they are—and aren't—using generative AI. If you were worried robots were taking over the creative side of your favourite RPG, don't be.

The AI Controversy

The confusion started after Larian revealed a new Divinity title at The Game Awards. CEO Swen Vincke mentioned using AI to "explore ideas," which the internet immediately took to mean "replace artists."

Vincke shut that down quickly on social media.

"Holy f*** guys we’re not ‘pushing hard’ for or replacing concept artists with AI," Vincke wrote. It’s rare to see a CEO be that blunt, but it clears the air.

He confirmed the studio currently employs 72 artists (23 specifically for concept art) and they are actually hiring more. The clarification is simple: AI is for speed and boring stuff, not the creative magic.

What's Allowed vs. What's Banned

Larian has drawn a hard line in the sand for the new Divinity project. Here is the breakdown of their policy:

Banned: Generative AI for concept art.
Banned: Generative AI for dialogue, journals, or story writing.
Allowed: Iteration speed, fleshing out internal PowerPoint presentations, and testing early ideas.

Vincke admitted the initial comments caused confusion. "To ensure there is no room for doubt, we’ve decided to refrain from using genAI tools during concept art development. That way, there can be no discussion about the origin of the art."

Writing Director Adam Smith was even harsher on the tech. He noted that their experiments with AI writing were a "3/10 at best." So, don't expect Chat-GPT to be writing your quest lines anytime soon.

Industry Context

Larian’s stance stands out because the rest of the industry is rushing in the opposite direction. Steam is currently flooded with games using these tools.

According to data from Totally Human, the number of games disclosing AI use on Steam has exploded in the last year:

Metric	A Year Ago	Last Summer
Games disclosing GenAI use	1,000	~8,000
Growth	-	800%

While 8,000 games are leaning into AI, Larian is betting on human talent. Given their track record with massive RPGs, it's probably the right call.

Release Date & Platforms

We know a new Divinity is coming. That's about it. Larian hasn't dropped a release date or confirmed platforms yet.

If Baldur's Gate 3 is anything to go by, it'll be ready "when it's ready." And considering they aren't using AI to shortcut the writing, expect a long wait. But at least we know the dialogue won't sound robotic.

We'll keep an eye on local UAE availability and pricing as soon as pre-orders go live. For now, it's just good to know the humans are still in charge.

FAQs

Is Larian using AI in the new Divinity game?

Yes, but only for internal processes like speeding up iteration or making presentations. They have explicitly banned it for concept art, dialogue, and story writing.