Baldur's Gate 3 publisher thinks developers should become pirates to clean up BioWare's act

Recent layoffs at BioWare, developer of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked widespread conversation about the current state of the gaming industry. Larian Studios' publishing director, Michael Daus, has again taken to social media to address this issue, emphasizing the importance of valuing employees and holding leadership accountable for layoffs.

Daus argues that significant team reductions between or after projects are avoidable. He stresses the critical role of retaining institutional knowledge for future projects. While acknowledging the financial pressures that sometimes necessitate "trimming the fat," he questions the excessive efficiency pursued by large corporations. He points out that this aggressive cost-cutting, manifested in layoffs, is counterproductive unless the company consistently releases successful titles.

Daus concludes that the strategic decisions made by upper management are ultimately to blame, yet those at the lower levels always bear the brunt. He uses the analogy of a pirate ship, where the captain would be the first to be sacrificed, suggesting that game development companies should adopt a more responsible leadership structure.