«Noen ganger tenker jeg det ville være lurt å gi kritikere poeng» – Baldur's Gate 3 Studio-sjef om spillanmeldelser og kritikk

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke, the head of the studio behind the critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3, has voiced his opinion on the nature of video game criticism, suggesting that reviewers should aim to be critical without being hurtful.

He elaborated that while he understands the need for reviewers to inform the public about a game's quality and value, he believes it's possible to do so without resorting to personal attacks or overly harsh language. In a recent X thread, Vincke expressed his belief that creating and releasing a game makes developers vulnerable, and that vulnerability deserves respect, even if the final product is not to everyone's liking.

I don’t like people shitting on things others have created. Putting something out into the world makes you vulnerable, and that alone deserves respect, even if you dislike the creation. It’s easy to destroy things, it’s a lot harder to build them. The best critics understand this. Even when they’re being critical, they do their best not to be hurtful.

Sometimes I think it'd be a good idea for critics to be scored, Metacritic-style, based on how others evaluate their criticism. I like to imagine it would encourage a bit more restraint. The harsh words do real damage. You shouldn't have to grow callus on your soul just because you want to publish something.

There's plenty of games I genuinely don't like playing and there are many I know are made for the wrong reasons. However - it's incredibly rare for one to be made without there being someone behind it that truly cared about what they were making, putting a part of themselves in it.

One of the best reviewers I ever knew refused to review games he considered failures. He believed that developers deserved the chance to try again. He knew that every failed attempt could be what enabled the next great one.

I know this because I was one of those developers that failed. And he only told me many years later.

So yeah - be nice to people that create things is what I'm trying to say. You need them.

And yes - I get that if people are charging money, you want to know if it's good or not. But reviewers can just say - I didn't enjoy it or I don't think it's well made or I don't think it's worth the money they are charging. That's enough. No need to get personal for the sake of some likes.

Or headlines if you're press.

Going to step down from my soapbox now. It's been on my mind for a while and just opening my feed today just pushed it all to the surface.

Think of the time you had to recite something in front of the class and how nervous you were. And how much any negative comment hurt.

Be nice to one another, be nice to the people creating stuff to entertain you. Treat them like you would like to be treated if you made something.

Consider it a strategic investment in the quality of your future entertainment. You won't regret it.

— Swen Vincke

Following his initial thread, Vincke added that developers should not engage in personal attacks either, nor should they exploit players who love their games. He clarified that his comments were not a defense of bad industry practices but a plea to protect the "sensitive souls" who are most passionate about creating games. Vincke suggested that the best way for players to show their displeasure with a game is to simply not play it.

Read also, Larian Studios, the developers of the Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity franchises, has decided to organize an AMA session on Reddit, where they revealed a bunch about their upcoming new Divinity video game, announced during The Game Awards 2025 show. New Divinity production is now moving forward with clearer boundaries on how artificial intelligence will be used at Larian Studios.

Following the announcement of Divinity at The Game Awards, the studio’s leadership has outlined a development approach that relies on generative AI for internal support while keeping all shipped content human-made. The stance comes as Larian shifts from Baldur’s Gate 3, one of the most successful role-playing games ever released, into a new phase defined by scale, pressure, and a return to a franchise the studio fully owns.