Larian says “there is not going to be any gen‑AI art” — and actually means it

Why Larian’s AI U‑turn matters more than you think

When Larian Studios backtracked publicly on earlier comments about exploring generative AI, it wasn’t just damage control – it was a statement about where developers draw the line between useful tooling and creative authorship. The studio confirmed the upcoming Divinity will use no generative‑AI for concept art or in‑game writing, while still permitting locked‑down AI for prototype iteration and animation cleanup. This caught my attention because Larian’s choices shape how big RPGs handle creative work going forward: they’ve found a middle path that appeases a worried fanbase without throwing away workflow efficiencies.

• No gen‑AI art or writing in the game – Larian will not use AI‑generated concept art or AI text in dialogues, journals, or other writing.
• Limited, controlled AI for tooling – prototyping and animation cleanup can use models trained only on Larian data and marked as temporary.
• Actor safeguards — explicit contracts banning use of recordings to train voice models and a current refusal to include AI‑generated voices.
• Design lessons from BG3 — more handcrafted loot rules, a game‑native rule system, and more party interactions (yes, lizard romance hinted).

Breaking down Larian’s stance: clear lines, but not a total ban

Developer Swen Vincke put the decision bluntly: “there is not going to be any gen‑AI art in Divinity.” That removes the biggest community fear — that AI would be used to produce final‑game assets whose provenance is murky. Larian goes further: Adam Smith, the writing director, confirmed text generation won’t touch dialogue or journal entries. He added that early experiments were low quality — a “3/10” — which aligns with what many writers have found: current models can suggest ideas but struggle with consistent character voice and complex branching narrative.

Still, Larian didn’t slam the door on AI entirely. Vincke and the machine learning director Gabriel Bosque say gen‑AI can speed iteration: prototype quicker, test more scenarios, cut waste. The caveat is strict guardrails. Any AI used for prototyping must be trained on Larian’s own data, flagged as stub content, and purged before shipping. For animation, ML helps clean and retarget motion capture — sensible, narrowly scoped use that improves fidelity without replacing actors.

Why the actor protections are the most important part

Larian’s promise to ban actors’ recordings from being used to train voice models is a rare concrete step in an industry still figuring out voice AI ethics. The new Divinity reportedly includes over 100,000 voice lines, and Bosque says the studio won’t include AI‑generated voices even if an actor consented and was paid. That’s significant; it prioritizes performer livelihood and keeps the emotional texture of performances intact — something RPGs live and die on.

Taking lessons from Baldur’s Gate 3 (and not repeating mistakes)

Beyond AI, the AMA is a small design briefing for fans. Larian says Divinity will borrow hard‑earned lessons from BG3 and DOS2: handcrafted rules around magic items, less reliance on fully randomized loot, and a rule set designed for videogames rather than a tabletop system retrofitted into one. That’s the kind of pragmatic iteration that elevated BG3—tighter systems, clearer player feedback, fewer surprises that feel like bugs.

Design head Nick Pechenin confirmed the old “magic armor” exploit from DOS2 won’t return. Instead, expect systems aimed at preventing trivial stunlocking while keeping the sandbox creativity that defines Larian’s games. And for people who want party drama, the studio teases more inter‑companion interaction (and “lizard romance” getting attention), which suggests deeper team dynamics than BG3’s already strong cast work.

What this means for players

Put simply: Divinity looks like it will be recognizably Larian. The studio is protecting authorship and performance while still experimenting where the payoff is technical and contained. Players should expect high‑quality, handcrafted writing and a hefty voice cast, plus the iterative polish that responsible AI tooling can accelerate when used transparently.

TL;DR

Larian responded to community concerns by banning generative AI from concept art and in‑game writing, allowing limited AI for prototyping and animation only when trained on its own data and clearly marked as disposable. They’ve hardened actor protections, applied lessons from BG3 about itemization and systems, and are promising richer party interactions. This is a rare case of a studio balancing creative integrity, technical efficiency, and ethical caution — and gamers should pay attention if they want industry practices to follow suit.