Controversial billionaire Elon Musk recently announced an ambitious goal: his xAI game studio aims to deliver a ‘great’ AI-generated game by the close of 2026. This bold assertion quickly drew significant pushback from various industry professionals. Among the prominent voices was Michael ‘Cromwelp’ Douse, Publishing Director at Larian Studios, the acclaimed developer behind Baldur’s Gate 3, who offered a candid critique of Musk’s plans.
Douse passionately argued that the gaming industry’s true need isn’t for “more mathematically produced, psychologically trained gameplay loops.” Instead, he believes the focus should be on “more expressions of worlds that folks are engaged with, or want to engage with.” While acknowledging AI’s potential as a tool, Douse emphasized that current technological advancements are not making up for a severe lack of clear direction and leadership. He firmly stated, “AI isn’t going to solve the big problem of the industry, which is leadership and vision.”
In a series of follow-up comments, Douse further elaborated on his conviction that human connection and involvement are paramount for success. He asserted that those who will truly thrive are individuals “building something for people.” Douse also voiced his concern about the technology sector’s growing susceptibility to “cash-grabs” often driven by venture capital interests. He concluded by highlighting that “there is no craft without the human touch; the relative skill issue, or ‘the exhibition of otherness.’ To turn games into digital, emotionless content is to abandon all resonance–which is why people play!”
Douse’s perspective resonates with sentiments previously expressed by Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke during The Game Awards. Vincke had spoken about the deceptively simple, yet often overlooked, formula for creating successful games.
While the actualization of xAI’s game remains speculative, it’s worth noting Musk’s historical pattern of overpromising on various ventures. Past projects like the high-speed Hyperloop, fully autonomous self-driving cars, and the ambitious goal of human landings on Mars by 2024 have faced significant delays or failed to meet initial expectations.
Meanwhile, Larian Studios is actively developing its next major project, currently known by the codename Excalibur.