Larian CEO Admits Baldur's Gate 3 Team Had 'To Do a Bit of Crunch'
Crunch Time at Larian for Baldur's Gate 3?
Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke revealed that the development team for Baldur's Gate 3 experienced some overtime, or "crunch," to meet deadlines, although it was less severe compared to their previous projects. He emphasized that such efforts were part of the process, especially given the game's complexity. Despite the controversy surrounding crunch in the industry, Vincke noted that their team managed reasonable working hours, with rare weekend work.
How does the amount of crunch time for Baldur's Gate 3 compare to previous projects at Larian Studios according to Vincke?
According to Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke, the amount of crunch time for Baldur's Gate 3 was less than the studio's previous projects. In a statement at the Digital Dragons conference, Vincke admitted that the team had "to crunch a bit" during development, but emphasized that it was "certainly less on Baldur's Gate 3 than we did in the past." Vincke explained that unexpected issues arose during development, leading to extra work hours, but overall, the team didn't "overly crunch" and managed to keep overtime to a minimum3.
What specific reasons did Swen Vincke cite for the necessity of overtime during the development of Baldur's Gate 3?
Swen Vincke, the CEO of Larian Studios, cited several reasons for the necessity of overtime, or "crunch", during the development of Baldur's Gate 3. In a conversation at the Digital Dragons conference, he mentioned unforeseen circumstances that arose during development. He also acknowledged that with the complexity of game development, especially when trying to wrap up a project, some amount of overtime is often required.
Vincke emphasized that the amount of crunch required for Baldur's Gate 3 was less than what was required for the studio's previous games. He also stated that employees, including himself, "didn't overly crunch" but "did have to do a bit" to finalize the game. He mentioned that employees would almost always leave by 8 pm and worked at weekends "very, very, very rarely".
It's important to note that Vincke's comments on crunch during Baldur's Gate 3's development were in response to a question and were not unsolicited. He was open about the studio's approach and the steps they took to minimize the impact on their employees.