The founder of Larian Studios appeared to be ready for anything
Baldur’s Gate 3 was named Game of the Year at The Game Awards, and Larian Studios founder and CEO Swen Vincke gladly collected the award while wearing half a suit of dazzling armor.
Vincke has already paid sartorial homage to his studio’s Dungeons & Dragons 5e role-playing game. He arrived at this year’s Panel From Hell exhibition completely dressed in sparkling silver armor, save for his exposed head and hands. His Twitter profile image shows him in heavier armor, this time with stiff gauntlets and a currant-colored cloak. However, he appeared to have been apprehensive about going medieval at The Game Awards.
“It’s decided,” he ultimately announced, “I’ll wear the armor if [Larian writer Adam Smith] dresses up as a bear.”
A quick scan over the Larian team revealed that Smith did, in fact, arrive at the Awards sporting a fluffy brown bear onesie underneath a velvety blazer. Larian could enjoy its well-deserved GOTY prize from presenter Timothée Chalamet in peace if both studio heads kept their half of the bargain. What a satisfying conclusion to a fever dream.
“I didn’t expect it anymore,” Vincke noted that voice actor Neil Newbon had previously won Best Performance earlier in the evening. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“A game like Baldur’s Gate 3 is impossible if you don’t have an incredible team working on it,” he continued. “The team at Larian spent their hearts and souls, for six years, on this game, and sometimes [under] very difficult circumstances. This was our Covid game.”
Vincke dedicated the award to “we lost” Larian team members, such as cinematic animation lead Jim Southworth, who died in November.
“I want to thank over 2,000 people,” Vincke continued, “so sit back and relax.”