Larian has even tacitly supported apparent competition like Solasta: Crown of the Magister and helped with Disco Elysium during development
Are developer studios in fierce competition with each other? Some may be, but Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin 2) is one of those who prefer to take a different path. For years, the studio has supported other developers, both financially and with personal commitment.
The whole thing doesn’t seem to be just a PR stunt, because this support is quite hidden. Currently, the developer of Blasphemous is thanking Larian – and we have found other projects they have helped out with.
Larian’s unobtrusive support
Blasphemous: Level designer Enrique Colinet writes on X (formerly Twitter) that Larian was one of the biggest Kickstarter backers in funding several years ago. The studio supported the project with 1,000 euros and, according to Colinet, never asked for the rewards.
Disco Elysium: In the credits of the great role-playing game there is a “Special thanks to Larian Studios”. In the Steam forum, developer ZAUM_Dani wrote the following explanation:
Swen and the entire Larian studio have been good friends to us and have supported us throughout the entire development process.
According to a video by Fextralife for example, Larian advised ZA/UM on how to make failed rehearsals fun (or at least interesting). Something that Baldur’s Gate 3 would later also succeed in doing, as we now know
Solasta: The role-playing game from 2021 is also based on Dungeons & Dragons. Direct competition, you might think. But Larian has also helped with the Kickstarter funding here – with an undisclosed amount. This is shared by the official Twitter account of Solasta:
They also did that for Solasta😌. @larianstudios not only make great games, they also support indie companies ️ https://t.co/s8v8bpMKmR
– Solasta ✨ Lightbringers Edition ✨ (@tct_adventures) April 15, 2024
Larian’s commitment is also visible elsewhere: CEO Swen Vincke doesn’t mince his words when it comes to the state of the video game industry He calls on studios to be less greedy and criticizes job cuts just to improve quarterly figures.
He and other Larian members, such as Director of Publishing Michael Douse, also repeatedly show support for other studios’ games on social media, especially for indie games.
Larian is of course far from the only studio to reach out to others and publicly praise the games of the “competition”, for example. CD Projekt Red (Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077), Guerilla Games (Killing Floor, Horizon), Devolver Digital (publisher) and Arrowhead Studios (Helldivers 2), for example, also often show their supportive side.
