Eleven % of recreation builders had been laid off in 2024, in keeping with GDC survey

It is a difficult time to be a developer today, in keeping with GDC’s 2025 State of the Game Industry report that surveyed over 3,000 recreation devs and trade professionals. In one of many worst years ever for recreation trade job losses, 11 % of builders stated they had been let go from their positions in 2024 and 29 % noticed direct colleagues being laid off. All of that’s a part of an unfortunate trend brought on partially by consolidation that would see round 14,000 layoffs in 2024 when remaining tallies are finished.

In the meantime, stay service video games seem like right here to remain, regardless of the spectacular flameout of Concord and the axing of several Sony projects. One-third of AAA builders stated they’re at present engaged on stay service video games (GaaS), with 16 % throughout all the developer base engaged on such titles. That does not imply all of them prefer it although, as 41 % expressed that they weren’t in any respect on engaged on GaaS model video games. That traces up with a general malaise amongst players with regard to stay service titles.

One encouraging upward development is in PC video games, the place 80 % of builders reported that they had been working — up massively from 66 % final 12 months. That might be due partially to Valve’s Steam deck, as 44 precent of devs stated they had been involved in working particularly on that platform. Browser video games are additionally on the upswing, with 16 % of respondents engaged on releases. Lastly, whereas gaming execs appear to like the potential for AI in gaming, builders hate it, with 30 % saying it is having a unfavorable affect on the trade — up 12 % from final 12 months.