"Baldur's Gate 3 Publisher Urges Developers to Pirate Tactics Against BioWare"

The recent layoffs at BioWare, the studio behind the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked significant conversation about the state of the gaming industry. Michael Daus, the publishing director of Larian Studios, has taken to social media to voice his concerns about these layoffs, emphasizing the importance of valuing employees and holding decision-makers accountable.

Daus argues that it's possible to avoid mass layoffs between or after projects, stressing the importance of retaining institutional knowledge for future endeavors. He critiques the common corporate justification of "trimming the fat" as a response to financial pressures, questioning the aggressive efficiency tactics employed by large corporations. He points out that such strategies may be justified if they consistently led to successful releases, but the frequent use of layoffs as a cost-cutting measure is not the solution.

He further criticizes the strategic decisions made by upper management, noting that it's typically the lower-level employees who bear the brunt of these choices. Daus suggests that video game companies should adopt a more pirate-like approach to management, where the captain (or decision-makers) are held responsible for the ship's course, rather than the crew.

This discourse highlights the ongoing challenges within the gaming industry, where the balance between financial sustainability and employee welfare remains a contentious issue.