Summary
TheBaldur’s Gate 3development was not entirely free of crunch, a senior Larian Studios official has revealed. But the company still appears to have managed to limit the amount of overtime work thatBaldur’s Gate 3required, at least relative to its past projects.
While working overtime is far from uncommon in many professions, the gaming industry has long had a tendency to push that practice to the extreme. Complex software development being unpredictable has contributed to this state of affairs, much like the fact that many people see game development as their dream job, making them more likely to put up with some degree of inconveniences such as crunching. Recent years saw an uptick in public awareness of thegaming industry’s crunch culture, leading to more companies being openly questioned about their development practices.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Required ‘A Bit’ of Crunch
Larian Studios is the latest group to chime in on this ongoing conversation, with CEO Swen Vincke confirming that thecritically acclaimedBaldur’s Gate 3was not finished without overtime work. During a recent appearance at the Digital Dragons conference in Krakow, the executivesaidthat “a bit” of crunching was needed to complete the company’s latest RPG. “You will always have a little bit [of crunch] when you’re trying to finish something, especially when there’s so much complexity that needs to be brought together,” Vincke opined.
Be that as it may, the industry veteran insisted that Larian learned from its past endeavors, which benefited its approach toBaldur’s Gate 3. The game ultimately required less crunch than Larian’s past projects, Vincke said. While he didn’t reveal any timelines for when the real crunch had started, the executive did share that Larian’s studios were consistently “almost empty” after 8pm, adding that weekend work happened “very, very, very rarely,” presumably near the end of the development. The fact that the company also ended upcutting someBaldur’s Gate 3content, ranging from additional maps to playable companions, may have helped its staffers maintain normal working hours even as deadlines drew near.
You will always have a little bit [of crunch] when you’re trying to finish something, especially when there’s so much complexity that needs to be brought together.
Ultimately, Vincke believes that the amount of higher-intensity work required forBaldur’s Gate 3was so minimal that some may not even consider it as crunch. The executive also noted that paid overtime helped make such extra contributions more palatable for employees.
The company’s international network of studios also helped minimize the amount of crunch required for the game, as some part of the group was always in office at any given time of the day, the executive explained. Larian is now committing to that spread-out structure even further, as theBaldur’s Gate 3developer has just opened its seventh studioin Warsaw, Poland, in May 2024.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
