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The conversation around AI in game development has been a powder keg for months, and it didn’t take long for Larian Studios to get pulled into it after revealing Divinity, the studio’s next RPG project. Over the past week, social media has been cycling through accusations that Larian is “pushing hard” for generative AI and using it to replace concept artists, claims that CEO Swen Vincke has now forcefully pushed back on in a pair of tweets.
Two days ago, Vincke posted a blunt response addressing the biggest point of outrage head-on, saying the studio is not replacing concept artists with AI and emphasizing the size of Larian’s art team. He stated that Larian has 72 artists, including 23 concept artists, and that the studio is still hiring. The core message was simple: the team’s shipped art is original, and Larian’s concept artists, not a model, are responsible for the work players eventually see.
Where the discourse started to spiral is around what “using Gen AI” actually meant in the first place. He said he was asked specifically about concept art and generative AI, and that his answer about “exploring things” was interpreted as “developing concept art with AI.” In his words, Larian uses AI tools early on for reference exploration and rough ideation, closer to mood boards and composition placeholders, before that material gets replaced by original concept art created by the studio’s artists.
Vincke also pointed readers back to an earlier interview describing Larian’s broader machine learning usage for “tasks that nobody wants to do,” framing the studio’s approach as productivity-focused rather than creativity-replacing. That distinction matters, because a lot of the current backlash across the industry isn’t just about whether AI appears somewhere in a pipeline, it’s about consent, training data, job displacement, and whether “temporary” tools quietly become permanent shortcuts.
Today Vincke returned with a second tweet acknowledging that “a lot has become lost in translation” since Divinity was announced. This time, the tone shifted from rebuttal to reassurance: he framed Larian’s “DNA” as player agency and empowering developers to work in the way that best supports craft. He also said it would be “irresponsible” not to evaluate new tech, but stressed that Larian’s processes will change if they don’t align with the studio’s values.
The most concrete update is also the one likely to cool the temperature, at least temporarily. Vincke announced Larian will host an AMA after the holiday break featuring different departments, giving fans a chance to ask direct questions about Divinity and the development process. The date will be shared in the new year, but the intent is clear: rather than letting rumor and clip-based interpretation define the narrative, Larian wants to put its teams in front of the audience and explain what’s actually happening.
Whether that’s enough to settle the broader debate is another matter. For many players, “AI” is now a trust issue as much as it is a technology issue, and studios are learning in real time that vague language like “exploration” can be read as anything from harmless reference gathering to full-on replacement workflows. For now, Vincke’s message is that Divinity’s art is still being driven by human artists, and that if you want the detailed version, Larian intends to answer questions publicly once the holidays are over.
