Ram prices are forcing Larian to optimize its new Divinity game far earlier than planned

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Okay, so RAM prices are seriously going up, and it’s starting to affect game development. We’re seeing hardware shortages and, honestly, it’s making things tougher for developers to keep costs down. It’s a bit worrying, because it could eventually impact the games we play.

Because AI companies are buying up most of the available memory chips, prices are increasing for everyone – both people who buy products and the companies that make them. This is raising worries that video game consoles might become more expensive, and Nvidia, a major graphics card manufacturer, might have to reduce production of certain cards.

Larian Studios, the team behind the Divinity series, is having to start optimizing their next game sooner than planned. According to CEO Swen Vincke in a recent interview with TheGamer, this is because the cost of computer hardware is currently much higher than usual.

Larian says RAM prices are disrupting development plans

According to Vincke, one surprise difficulty with launching the game in early access was the unexpectedly high cost of RAM and SSDs.

Larian Studios is also struggling with the unexpectedly high cost of computer components like RAM and SSDs. One of the developers expressed their frustration, stating they’ve never seen prices this high.

Vincke said the sudden surge has disrupted the studio’s usual long-term planning, which relies on predictable hardware costs.

This issue throws off our initial plans and expectations. Usually, we understand how things perform and can safeguard the hardware, but this situation is different. It’s going to be a tricky one to solve, and it means we’ll likely need to spend time optimizing the game during early access—work we hadn’t planned for yet. It’s definitely a challenge, but that’s just part of making video games.

These comments come as Larian Studios is receiving criticism for using AI tools during the game’s development. Studio head Michael Douse recently stated they use AI for things like gathering references, a practice that has drawn fire because AI can significantly increase the demand for computer memory (RAM).

Addressing the concerns raised, Vincke explained that they aren’t trying to replace concept artists with AI. They use AI tools to gather inspiration and references, similar to how they use resources like Google and art books. In the initial stages of brainstorming, AI helps create basic layouts, which are then fully developed by human artists. He emphasized that there’s no real comparison between AI-generated sketches and finished concept art.

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2025-12-18 19:20