Larian Studio CEO Swen Vincke On The Future Of The Company, Dream Project, & Malaysian Fans

The many indie game developers of Southeast Asia weren’t the only ones happy during MDEC’s Level UP KL SEA Game Awards 2024 event. Larian Studio’s Malaysia branch also received a Special Recognition Award for being active since 2019 and helping out with game industry jobs & country highlighting. Oh, and also being instrumental in the making of the 2023 computer role-playing game wunderkind Baldur’s Gate 3.

So of course, Larian Studio CEO Swen Vincke was the guest of honour at the whole of Level UP KL. Clearly overjoyed and relieved for getting his company the Special Recognition Award at this year’s Level UP SEA Game Awards 2024, he was more than happy to answer a few extra questions for us at Kakuchopurei about the company and its future. Our talking time was brief but was definitely fruitful.

Will Larian Studios do a non-RPG in the future? 

There are two genres which we create for, strategy games and RPGs. So, maybe one day you’ll see a strategy game, who knows?

The most important lessons from Baldur’s Gate 3 that you must incorporate in your next game?

Cinematics.  Treat cinematics with respect. Incorporate them much deeper into the gameplay design. These, I think, are the biggest lessons that we got out of Baldur’s Gate 3 because it was our first big cinematic RPG, so we had to learn a lot about how to do it.

How do you approach the pressure of surpassing your past projects? 

I will admit there’s a lot of stress involved. We just focus; I told the team, just focus on following their gut. I mean, that’s all we can do. Either people will like it, or they won’t. But it’s the best we can do.

Will you be able to experiment on future projects, or even consider a remake of your old games like Divine Divinity? 

Yes.

Do you have any favourite characters in Baldur’s Gate 3?

I never answer that question because I have to work with the writers who worked on those characters. So if I were to tell, then that would be favouritism, so I’m not going to do that.

Okay, let’s switch it around. Your favourite questline in Baldur’s Gate 3?

So, I think I really like what was done with the Emperor. How that one evolved because that was a very complicated character.

I’m really happy with how the ending spanned out. In the end, when you see all the endings and the effort that the team put into it and make it something that made an impact when you finish the game, there are really good moments in there, so I think those are some of my favourite things in the game.

Is there a personal sci-fi or fantasy dream work based on an existing IP you would like to adapt with Larian Studios? 

I’m a geek, I have plenty of sci-fi and fantasy that I really like, so…  Maybe a tough way ahead, like what? I don’t know how, but I would like somebody (or my team) to make a game around (sci-fi novel series) Hyperion. I don’t know how you would do that, because it’s in my head, it’s such a big thing, but I would really like to see a Hyperion game.

The future of CRPGS: is it looking bright post-Baldur’s Gate 3?

We’ve been very long waiting for RPGs to be made again in this style, so I hope that we’re going to see many of them. Now, of course, Baldur’s Gate 3 has set a high standard for CRPGs.

Any final words for Malaysian fans of Baldur’s Gate 3?

Thank you. Like, literally, I mean, we’ve been inundated with cosplay, paintings, cartoons, music, gifts. In Malaysia, quite a lot, actually. So, thank you. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out right now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. The game’s latest update “Patch 7” adds new Evil Endings, split-screen, and a curated selection of in-game mods built by the awesome BG3 community.