Highlights
- Larian Studios CEO dismisses the possibility of selling the company despite Microsoft's interest, citing his desire to continue making games and not wanting to give up control.
- Larian is focused on finishing the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports of Baldur's Gate 3 before deciding on its next project, potentially a smaller-scale title to avoid committing another six years to a single game.
- Baldur's Gate 3 aims to achieve seamless co-op on the Xbox Series S, but technical challenges have delayed the Xbox version's release date, while the PS5 port is set to launch on September 6.
Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has opened up on what's next for the company following the release of Baldur's Gate 3 and chimed in on the possibility of the Belgian developer getting acquired by Microsoft. His insights into the award-winning studio coincided with the launch of the PC version of Baldur's Gate 3, which is already available for download in the West.
One of the many bombshells from Microsoft's recent legal clash with the FTC came in the form of a list revealing the tech giant's potential acquisition targets. The document, unsealed during a federal hearing in late June, suggested that Microsoft was considering bidding for Larian Studios due to the developer's strong community following and a consistent track record with putting out critically acclaimed RPGs, among other reasons.
Vincke now labeled Microsoft's leaked interest as "flattering," but dismissed the possibility of selling the company which he and his wife have been controlling as majority shareholders since its humble beginnings in 1996. Speaking to Bloomberg, the executive said that while he's "getting older," he's also "not done" making games, which is why he wouldn't entertain any bids for the time being.
Elaborating on his future plans, Vincke said that Larian still hasn't decided on its next project, presumably because the company remains focused on finishing the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports of Baldur's Gate 3. Once those versions are out, it is quite likely that the developer will set its sights on a smaller-scale title, with Vincke revealing he's not eager to commit another six years of his life to a single game. Following that same train of thought, the executive also suggested that Larian might tackle multiple smaller projects at once after Baldur's Gate 3 reaches all of its target platforms.
While the company's latest title is very much in line with the kind of traditional role-playing games that Larian is known for, Baldur's Gate 3 also looks to achieve something no other RPG of its scale has done before, seamless co-op on the Xbox Series S. The studio encountered some technical challenges in realizing that ambition, which is why the Xbox version of the game has yet to be treated to a release date.
Meanwhile, its PS5 port is scheduled to launch on September 6, while the PC version originally targeted an August 31 debut before Larian changed its Baldur's Gate 3 release plans. The decision to move the PC launch forward by nearly a month was largely rooted in a desire to avoid clashing with Starfield, whose early access period starts on September 1, Larian said back in June.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC and launches September 6 on PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S port also being in development.
Source: Bloomberg