Baldur's Gate 3 creator warns Electronic Arts after buyout. "This has never worked before”
Plans to use artificial intelligence and possible layoffs following EA's $55 billion takeover have sparked a wave of criticism. The head of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke, and actor Elias Toufexis, among others, have spoken out, slamming the direction being taken by the new owners.
Electronic Arts, the publisher of brands such as Battlefield, EA Sports FC, and The Sims, is currently experiencing one of the biggest upheavals in its history. It's all because of a massive $55 billion takeover that's set to make the company private. On the surface, it might seem like a "new era of opportunities," as CEO Andrew Wilson puts it, but in reality, this move has sparked a lot of concerns.
As mentioned, the transaction will be partially financed by the company taking on about $20 billion in debt. This means that EA will need to seek aggressive ways to cut costs and maximize profits. New investors hope that artificial intelligence, which can be used to optimize various processes, will help in this.
This news really stirred things up – employees are worried about layoffs, and analysts are guessing that EA might sell off some of its IPs and focus more on service-based games.
Strong industry's reaction
Swen Vincke, head of Larian Studios and one of the Baldur’s Gate 3 creators, addressed the topic. On social media, he highlighted the issue of development speed and costs:
Probably a good time to remind people that making games faster and cheaper while charging more has never worked before – we can read in his post on X.
Although Vincke did not explicitly mention EA, the context and earlier versions of his post—which was edited—clearly suggest that it was about the big acquisition. Vincke deleted some parts of the post, including the line "not sure why they think it'll work now," but fans still have no doubt about who those words were aimed at.
Elias Toufexis, the voice actor famous for playing Adam Jensen in the Deus Ex series and Sam Coe in Starfield, had an even stronger reaction. Even though he often collaborates with EA, he didn't hide his anger at reports of AI being used to cut costs.
"I work for EA a lot so I should be careful here," he wrote. Then he added: " F**k you."
His emotional comment received widespread attention. Fans praised him for being honest, and many pointed out that decisions like this will just turn people off from playing games "tainted" with AI.
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Author: Kamil Kleszyk
At Gamepressure.com deals with various jobs. So you can expect from him both news about the farming simulator and a text about the impact of Johnny Depp's trial on the future of Pirates of the Caribbean. Introvert by vocation. Since childhood, he felt a closer connection to humanities than to exact sciences. When after years of learning came a time of stagnation, he preferred to call it his "search for a life purpose." In the end, he decided to fight for a better future, which led him to the place where he is today.
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