Baldur’s Gate 3 game director says single player games are alive ‘They just have to be good’

Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios and the game director behind Baldur’s Gate 3 has once again reminded the skeptics that single-player games are not dead, ‘They just have to be good’, he says. This comes after Vincke gave the studios advice on making games that they want to make and the players want to play, rather than chasing trends or profits.

Taking to the conversation on Twitter, Vincke spoke on the debated topic in the gaming industry. “That time of the year again when big single-player games are declared dead. Use your imagination. They're not. They just have to be good,” he said adding, “I think good single-player games will continue to do as well as they have always done. They just need to be good and innovate enough.”

That time of the year again when big single player games are declared dead.

Use your imagination.

They're not.

They just have to be good.

— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) March 18, 2025

Single-player gamers continue to stay relevant

What Vincke is saying here isn’t something he thought on a whim or made out of thin air for publicity, he has already experienced this firsthand. Baldur’s Gate 3 was a massive success and a single-player title. Even after almost two years of release, the game is bringing over 90,000 concurrent players which is more than several major live service games.

The same goes for any other single-player title, Palworld, and Elden Ring are also bringing over 60,000 players every day. Don’t Starve Together, a game released back in 2016 is also experiencing the same amount of popularity. There are countless other games like Stardew Valley, Terraria, and more that break the ‘single-player games are dead’ norm.

“The why of this tweet is hearing chatter about important industry figures stating there is no future for (big) single-player games. Which means discouraging investment in (big) single-player games. Which bothers me. Because I don't think they have it right. The problem is that this type of attitude has consequences. Because before you know it becomes a mantra,” Vincke added.

Also Read:Baldur's Gate 3 mod for Stardew Valley adds entire new village to explore

‘Good single-player games will always do well’

There’s a reason why the 'Game of The Year' list features single-player games. They are completely packaged experiences in themselves. Vincke said that good single-player games will always do well and everyone agrees. The games don’t need to have an extremely high budget or be too ambitious, they just need to be ‘good enough’ to be appreciated by people who play.