Representatives of the developer Baldur's Gate 3 recalled that more than 16,000 developers will be laid off worldwide between 2023 and 2024, with companies justifying the cuts by saying that the video game business has become unsustainable.
Michael Dawes, publishing director at Larian Studios, addressed developers and especially those who have lost their jobs in recent months at the DICE Awards:
“To be honest, we are very lucky, but others are not so lucky. It's an industry made up of people and sometimes we're really bad at showing developers what they're worth, it's kind of the elephant in the room, especially when we're surrounded by all this luxury. Many people were laid off earlier this year. And I want you to know that you are all talented, that you are important and that you are the future of this industry. Don't let this flame go out because of our collective mistakes… We will survive as an industry.”
At this point, someone intervened in the discussion The team's head of production, David Walgrave, added:
“We at Larian ask the public to pay for the game once, and that’s it. We don't have shareholders, which means we don't even need to think about shareholders. But in the long run, building a community, a user base, and making games that are actually fun is what will make the most money, that's all. Just put the players first.”
It's worth noting that Larian Studios is not a completely independent team as many believe, since Tencent owns 30% , but at the same time, according to agreements, provides complete creative freedom.