Baldur’s Gate 3 and Larian Studios lead Swen Vincke declares that single-player games are, in fact, not “dead” at all – “they just have to be good”

As Larian Studios wraps up its work to release the long-awaited Patch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3, CEO Swen Vincke has shared some much-needed wisdom with the broader gaming community – no, single-player games are not “dead.”

Vincke makes the declaration in a recent online post, explaining that people just need to “use your imagination” and try to see the bigger picture – single-player games are still very much alive indeed, but, unsurprisingly, they’ve got to be good to actually gain significant traction. “That time of the year again when big single-player games are declared dead,” writes the lead. “Use your imagination. They’re not. They just have to be good.”

The Baldur’s Gate 3 director’s statement rings especially true in an era arguably boasting the best RPGs to date, from Larian’s own 2023 banger to more recent releases like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and a personal favorite of mine from last year, Metaphor: ReFantazio. There’s also Avowed, an immersive single-player gem from renowned studio Obsidian Entertainment our review describes as filling “a first-person void” within the genre.

There’s more to come from Larian Studios after the Baldur’s Gate 3 developers wrap up their work on Patch 8, too, with the company previously admitting it’s placing its “full attention” on its next RPG – which, while it won’t be Baldur’s Gate 4, doesn’t mean a sequel isn’t also coming. After all, Dungeons & Dragons’ parent company Hasbro stated that it’s currently “talking to lots of partners” about the next Baldur’s Gate game.

Baldur’s Gate 3 animation impresses Larian Studios, prompting one dev to say “mature” animation of the RPG “would pop the f*** off”