Larian Studios Urges Devs to Embrace Piracy for Gaming Innovation

Recent layoffs at BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked a wider conversation about the state of the gaming industry. Larian Studios' publishing director, Michael Daus, has again commented on social media, this time addressing the issue of industry layoffs. He argues for valuing employees and holding leadership accountable, rather than blaming rank-and-file workers:

Avoiding widespread layoffs between or after projects is achievable. Retaining institutional knowledge within the team is vital for future success.

While "trimming the fat" is often cited as a reason for these cuts – and Daus acknowledges the pressures of financial difficulties – he questions the necessity of aggressive corporate efficiency. This approach might be justifiable with a string of consecutive hits, but layoffs are ultimately a drastic, and ultimately poor, cost-cutting measure.

Daus points out that the core problem lies in the strategic decisions made by upper management, yet the consequences are always borne by lower-level employees. He uses the analogy of a pirate ship, where the captain would be the first to be thrown overboard in times of crisis. He suggests that video game companies should adopt a more responsible, less ruthlessly efficient, management style.