The team behind Baldur’s Gate 3 had to collect so many awards that game development was negatively affected.
Speaking to Edge, Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke said the number of awards received became “a real problem” as Larian had to send “rotating teams” of staff out to collect them.
“It affects development. There’s a lot of them,” Vincke said. “This has been a real problem.” Baldur’s Gate 3 was the surprise hit of 2023, earning myriad game of the year awards including from the New York Video Game Critics Circle, The Game Awards, the Gayming Awards, the Game Developers Choice Awards, and more.
Vincke insisted he was still appreciative of the awards, as “it’s great that you have a moment of celebration” and Larian does “really appreciate it,” but sending key members away to each award show seemingly left the development team fragmented.
It “would be cool if everybody could agree to do it all at the same time,” Vincke said. “It is surprisingly draining on the soul.”
This continued focus on Baldur’s Gate 3 also stopped Larian from getting closure, he added “We’ve all been more emotional because we can’t get closure, and you want to have closure at the end of a project.”
That being said, Larian has paid plenty of attention to Baldur’s Gate 3 itself in the myriad updates released following launch, but perhaps Vincke is implying there wouldn’t have been so many if the game wasn’t so successful.
The final major update is due in September 2024, when Larian releases official mod support for Baldur’s Gate 3. After that, it’s leaving behind the game, franchise, and Dungeons & Dragons altogether to create something new.
In our 10/10 review of the game, IGN said: “With crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.