One of the oldest discourses in the gaming space has circled around again: the question of whether big single-player games are "dead." This time, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke, who spearheaded development on the blockbuster hit single-player game Baldur's Gate 3, has weighed in on the matter with a firm position.
Posting on X/Twitter, Vincke noted it's "that time of the year again when big single-player games are declared dead." His response: "Use your imagination. They're not. They just have to be good."
It would be hard to deny Vincke knows exactly what he's talking about. Larian built up its reputation game over game, producing stellar CRPGs like Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin 2 before taking the reins on Baldur's Gate 3 and, by all accounts, delivering.
Vincke has previously made headlines for his concise insights, whether on the stage at The Game Awards or off. He's emphasized the passion behind development, respecting the developers and players, and caring about the games. In that light, this take on the ages-old discourse may not be surprising, but it's still reaffirming.
Indeed, 2025 has already seen at least one major single-player hit in the form of Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. There are still many months left to go in the year, and that's plenty of time for other single-player games to steal the spotlight for themselves too.
Larian of course decided to walk away from Baldur's Gate 3 and indeed Dungeons & Dragons to make a brand new IP. Speaking to IGN at this year's Game Developers Conference, SVP of digital games at Hasbro Dan Ayoub teased fans may hear more on what's next for the Baldur's Gate series soon.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
