Larian CEO Swen Vincke Sticks His Foot in It Again, Thinks Game Reviewers Should Also Be Reviewed

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Eventually, Larian Studios’ CEO, Swen Vincke, will likely discover that silence is sometimes the most effective approach.

Following a debate about using AI in Baldur’s Gate 3 – and after clarifying some initial statements – Larian Studios’ Vincke now believes video game reviewers should also be subject to review and scoring.

In a series of posts online, Vincke explained he dislikes negativity towards creative work, and believes all games deserve respect, regardless of how good or bad they are. He seemed to feel some reviewers weren’t being respectful, and went on to say:

I’ve often wondered if it would be helpful to rate critics themselves, similar to how Metacritic scores movies and games. Maybe if critics knew their reviews were being evaluated, they’d be a little more careful with their words. Harsh criticism can really hurt people, and writers shouldn’t have to become emotionally numb just to share their work.

Who would review the game reviewers? Swen Vincke doesn’t provide an answer.

Vincke argues that some reviewers let personal feelings influence their critiques, seemingly to gain attention online.

Games represent a huge investment of time, effort, and passion from many people. However, a review aims to set those feelings aside and offer an unbiased assessment of the game itself.

I understand people want to know if something is worth the price, and that’s fair. But a reviewer doesn’t need to go into a lot of detail – simply stating they didn’t like it, found it poorly made, or didn’t think it was worth the cost is sufficient, he explained.

It’s not clear what — if anything — the posts are in reaction to.

Statements made by Vincke have received significant backlash from both critics and people working in the gaming industry, including Jeff Gerstmann, a former journalist at GameSpot and Giant Bomb.

Eurogamer‘s deputy editorial director Chris Tapsell adds:

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2026-01-28 14:06