Larian Studios Details Its Application of Generative AI for Upcoming Divinity Game
The team behind acclaimed role-playing games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin has recently teased its upcoming project, sparking a wave of excitement within the player base. However, subsequent remarks from the studio's co-founder have introduced a new dimension to the narrative, touching on the team's approach toward AI tools.
Augmenting Workflows, Not Cutting Jobs
In a recent statement, Larian's director explained that the company is employing AI technology for certain ancillary tasks. These encompass developing presentation materials, producing initial concept art, and creating temporary copy.
Notably, Vincke made clear that the end content in the game will be authored exclusively by actual creatives. "We are writing every line ourselves," he affirmed.
Larian is actively increasing our pool of concept artists and are actively putting together dedicated writer rooms.
Given that this area is being particularly called out — we presently have 23 artistic staff and have positions available for additional creatives.
All our efforts we do is additive and designed to letting our team spend more time on the creative process.
Any ML tool used well is supplementary to a creative team workflow, not a replacement for their craft.
Addressing Concerns and Clarifying the Vision
The news of employing this technology at first provoked backlash among a segment of the community. In reply, Vincke issued further clarification on online platforms.
"Our team utilizes these tools to gather inspiration, in the same way we use the internet and reference books," he explained. "In the initial brainstorming phase we use it as a basic framework for structure which we then replace with authentic concept art."
He continued, "We've hired artists for their creative vision, not for their willingness to execute what a machine suggests."
Three Pillars of Practical Application
Vincke had previously outlined the company's focused method to this technology, categorizing its use into three main pillars:
- Handling Monotonous Jobs: This encompasses refining animations, dialogue cleanup, and Larian-specific work like retargeting animations.
- Rapid Prototyping ('White Boxing'): Using tools to quickly build basic versions of mechanics to test concepts ahead of expensive production.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Investigating how AI could one day create innovative player agency, specifically in simulating unforeseen permutations in a detailed game universe.
He specifically noted that central narrative areas — such as visual art — are are absolutely not departments where the team is cutting artistic talent. On the contrary, Larian is expanding its staff in these very positions.
"Our studio is neither shipping a game with AI-generated content, nor considering trimming down teams to swap them out with AI," Vincke stated definitively.
