Larian Studios moved Baldur's Gate 3 forward to avoid the impending release of Starfield, the first tentpole Bethesda RPG in nearly a decade. Aside from a slightly buggier Act 3, it launched in a good state, but behind the scenes, the developer fell into the industry-wide issue of crunch.

"We didn't overly crunch, but we did have to do a bit of crunch," Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke said in an interview with Games Radar. "And I think, to be honest, you will always have a little bit when you're trying to finish something, especially when there's so much complexity that needs to be brought together."

However, Vincke says that there was less crunch on Baldur's Gate 3 than with past games and that staff were paid overtime if they did have to work late. He claims that offices would be nearly empty after 8pm and "very, very, very rarely" would anyone be in on weekends. "We had things happen that we didn't foresee," Vincke explained.

Larian Opened New Studio In Warsaw To Help With Future Projects
Larian Studios isn't working on Baldur's Gate 4 or any Baldur's Gate 3 expansions, leaving Dungeons & Dragons behind as it moves forward with its own library. To that end, it has two new games in development, which in lieu of Vincke admitting to crunch, is a little worrying.

However, the developer recently opened a new studio in Warsaw to help with these projects. "With two new very ambitious RPGs now starting development, what better way to see our visions realised than by growing the team and opening a seventh studio in the heart of Poland's lively gaming scene!" Larian tweeted.

Hopefully, with a new studio, crunch will lessen even if Larian is pushing forward with two games at once.

Posted: Jun 01, 2024 9:44 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-lead-swen-vincke-admits-to-crunch/