"Baldur's Gate 3 Publisher Urges Developers to 'Become Pirates' to Outdo BioWare"

The recent layoffs at BioWare, the creators behind the much-anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked intense discussions about the current state of the gaming industry. These events have highlighted broader issues surrounding job security and corporate management within game development.

Michael Daus, the publishing director of Larian Studios, has been vocal on social media about these layoffs. He argues that the industry needs to prioritize the value of its employees and that accountability should rest with decision-makers rather than the workforce. Daus emphasizes the importance of retaining institutional knowledge between projects, which he sees as essential for the success of future endeavors.

He critiques the common practice of "trimming the fat" or reducing redundancies, often used as a justification for layoffs. While Daus acknowledges the financial pressures that can lead to such decisions, he questions the necessity and effectiveness of such aggressive cost-cutting measures, especially when they do not result in a consistent output of successful games. He argues that the real problem lies in the strategies developed by those in higher management positions, yet it is the employees at the lower levels who bear the brunt of these decisions.

Daus uses a striking analogy, suggesting that companies should be managed like pirate ships, where the captain—representing upper management—would be held accountable for failures rather than the crew. This perspective underscores a call for a more equitable and responsible approach to managing game development teams, one that values the contributions and well-being of all employees.