Larian Studios' next Divinity game will be a turn-based RPG — and the studio is using generative AI for ideation

It's still early days, but Larian Studios is sharing some details on what players can expect from the team's next big game.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Larian Studios head Swen Vincke shared that the recently-revealed Divinity is in fact a turn-based RPG (role-playing game), in line with some of the developer's prior games such as Divinity: Original Sin 2 and the uber-popular Baldur's Gate 3, the latter of which has sold over 20 million copies since launching in 2023.

Vincke also indicates the team is planning to launch Divinity in early access, but it probably won't be out in 2026. The team has grown significantly, now spanning 530 developers across multiple studios, and Vincke is hopeful that this game won't take six years to develop like Baldur's Gate 3.

“I think three to four years is much healthier than six years,” he says.

Larian Studios head responds to generative AI backlash

Vincke also notes that the studio is working with generative AI, but with caveats. The team is using it for ideation and exploring early concepts, but he says there will be no AI-generated content in the final game.

Per Vincke, there has been some pushback internally at Larian Studios, but “I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we’re using it.”

Since this interview, there's been an outpouring on social media, with players and writers expressing frustration with Larian's stance. Vincke followed up on X (formerly Twitter) to add that "We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison."

In that same tweet, Vincke also stated:

"I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn’t say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists."

The use of generative AI in games remains a hot topic, with some companies taking a hard stance against any form of the technology. Developers at another RPG studio, Obsidian Entertainment, recently noted that the team isn't using AI at all.

If you are against game developers using generative AI, we're curious to learn what your biggest concern is. Use the poll below or tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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