Multi award-winning game Baldur’s Gate 3 did involve “a bit” of crunch, according to Larian Studios’ CEO Swen Vincke. The news came as part of the Q&A section of the Digital Dragons conference in Poland, where Vincke addressed the demands on the team.
Per GamesRadar+, “It would be a lie to say that we didn’t,” said Vincke. “We had things happen that we didn’t foresee.”
“We didn’t overly crunch, but we did have to do a bit of crunch. 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.”
Vincke also confirmed that the level of crunch on Baldur’s Gate 3 was significantly less than any crunch that had occurred in the development of previous titles.
The studio allegedly also made efforts to reduce the frequency of this happening, with paid overtime for anyone who worked late – anecdotally resulting in largely empty offices after 8pm and “very, very, very rarely” occupied offices on weekends.
Read: Larian opens new Poland studio after Baldur’s Gate 3 success
Vincke also touched on the introduction of new studios as a means to ensure 24-hour coverage, minimising the chances of individuals needing to work extra hours by introducing teams in different time zones.
With the introduction of a new studio in Poland – called Larian Studios Warsaw – the team will hopefully be better positioned to avoid further crunch on the two new RPG titles in the works.
What’s next for Larian Studios?
Despite the massive commercial success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios (including the new Warsaw studio) will be focusing on two brand new RPG titles, separate from the Baldur’s Gate 3 universe.
The career page for the Poland studio reads: “Systems-heavy RPGs need best-in-class developers, that’s why we’ve put the people who build those systems at the centre of our culture … As the team ramps up development on our next games, we’re excited to meet talented programmers, RPG designers, writers, and more who are local to Poland or interested in relocating.”
Though there has been little word as to the nature of these games – indeed, it’s very early days – the world certainly has its eyes on Larian Studios to see what they come up with next.
