Larian Studios engaged in some additional work on Baldur's Gate 3 to address unexpected difficulties

During last week's Digital Dragons event, Swen Vincke, the director of Baldur's Gate 3, addressed the issue of crunch. He shared that Larian Studios managed to avoid excessive overtime for the most part, although completing a project of such magnitude inevitably required some additional hours.

According to GamesRadar, Vincke elaborated on this topic during a Q&A session in Poland. He admitted that while the team experienced fewer instances of crunch compared to previous projects, unforeseen issues did lead to some overtime.

"We certainly crunched less on Baldur's Gate 3 than on past projects," Vincke stated. "However, it would be dishonest to claim we avoided it entirely. Some unexpected challenges necessitated extra hours."

Larian's international setup allowed different offices to collaborate and minimize the load on any single location. When overtime was required, employees received compensation, which is not always guaranteed in the gaming industry. Vincke noted that office spaces were seldom busy after 8 pm or during weekends.

He further explained, "While we didn’t crunch excessively, some overtime was necessary. Complex projects inherently demand a bit of extra effort to reach completion."

Last week also saw Larian Studios unveiling a new office in Warsaw, Poland, marking its seventh global location as reported by GamesIndustry.

Earlier this year, we had the chance to interview Vincke about the future beyond Baldur's Gate 3 and the team's ongoing ambitions in the realm of RPGs.