The creators of Baldur’s Gate 3 have never been shy about commenting on the industry, and Larian Studios publishing director Michael Douse has now chimed in on a release planned for 2026. After Elon Musk claimed that his studio xAI will release an AI-generated game in 2026, Douse replied to a news report to share his critique.
Quoting a Dexerto post on the subject, Douse said on X that the games industry needs “expressions of worlds that folks are engaged with” rather than “mathematically produced, psychologically trained gameplay loops.” While Douse acknowledges potential uses for AI as a “tool,” he notes that it can’t “solve the big problem” of “leadership & vision.”
BG3’s Michael Douse Has Concerns About Musk’s AI Game
The Anti-Baldur’s Gate 3
In a series of replies, Douse goes into detail by comparing the state of the games industry and AI to the collapse of retail. He highlights the “VC [venture capitalist] cash grab” of modern tech initiatives and notes that “connecting directly with audiences” and “respect for craft” are necessary components of successful development.
Aside from quoting the news report, Douse doesn’t elaborate on Musk’s venture, but his concerns about “digital, emotionless content” are clearly in reference to the idea of xAI’s plan for an AI-generated game. For comparison, hundreds of Larian employees worked on Baldur’s Gate 3 for six years, followed by nearly two more years of major post-launch patches.
xAI Game Is A Symptom Of Industry Problems, Not An Answer
AI Isn’t Going To Solve Anything
Along with Larian Studios director Swen Vincke, Douse has frequently called out problems like the industry’s focus on shareholders. This also isn’t the first time he’s criticized generative AI initiatives, and he recently decried a statement from the creator of the “AI actress” Tilly Norwood.
Musk’s plans for an AI game studio have been subject to controversy since he first shared them in November 2024. Responding to a post about the gaming industry becoming “ideologically captured,” Musk claimed that xAI would “make games great again.” That claim materialized into an official announcement in February, and the recent update is the first mention of a planned 2026 release window.
Call me crazy, but I’m not betting on the xAI game being quite as good as Baldur’s Gate 3. Douse’s analysis of the industry gets to the root of deeper problems than ideological disagreements, and a game that’s totally reliant on generative AI seems like a clear symptom of these issues. In any case, Douse isn’t just taking potshots at an upcoming game, backing up his criticism with plenty of well-founded concerns.
- Released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Larian Studios
- Engine
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Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
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Full cross-platform play.
- Cross Save
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Full cross-platform progression.
