LARIAN FOUNDER SLAMS GOOGLE STADIA DEAL

In a candid revelation at GDC, Swen Vincke, Larian Studios’ founder, expressed regret over the deal made with Google Stadia for the development of Baldur's Gate 3. Despite initially seeing the partnership as a way to integrate unique features and garner attention for the game, the closure of Stadia in early 2023 reflected on the misstep. Vincke acknowledged the "really stupid" agreement but noted it helped fund vital CGI for the game. Despite this obstacle, Baldur's Gate 3 has been a significant hit, filled with extensive cinematics and a narrative on par with epic franchises. However, Larian Studios has decided against creating DLC or a sequel for Baldur's Gate 3 in the near future.

The partnership eventually turned sour due to Google Stadia's service shutdown. Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke admitted that the deal was unwise in retrospect, although it did assist in funding aspects of the game's development.

Baldur's Gate 3 is the latest installment in a series that originated in 1998 with the first Baldur's Gate, developed by BioWare. The series is known for its rich storytelling and deep role-playing mechanics, set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. With Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios, the developers behind the critically acclaimed Divinity: Original Sin series, aimed to revive the classic RPG formula while incorporating modern gameplay and graphical enhancements.