Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke shared a blunt message on X this week about game development economics.
“Making games faster and cheaper while charging more never works,” Vincke wrote in the brief post.
The statement came without context or reference to any specific company or project. But the timing caught attention across social media as it circulated alongside unrelated reports about Electronic Arts.
Vincke’s comment hits at a long-running trend in AAA publishing. Major studios have pushed to compress development schedules and trim budgets while raising prices to $70 for new releases. The strategy has become standard practice across much of the industry.
The Larian chief has earned a reputation for speaking his mind on sustainable development practices. His studio’s approach proved successful with Baldur’s Gate 3, which launched in August 2023 after three years in Early Access. The RPG swept major awards including Game of the Year at The Game Awards and became one of 2023’s biggest commercial successes.
Larian operates as an independent studio, giving Vincke flexibility that executives at publisher-owned developers often lack. The team expanded to multiple offices worldwide following BG3‘s reception.
Some aggregator sites framed Vincke’s tweet “amid” reports of a $55bn EA acquisition. The tweet itself made no mention of EA or any buyout. The juxtaposition appears to be editorial framing rather than direct connection.
Industry reality check
The game industry has faced mounting pressure in recent years. Development costs have ballooned while publishers push for faster turnarounds. Widespread layoffs hit multiple major studios throughout 2023 and 2024, with canceled projects and shuttered live-service games piling up.
