One-third is about the cut almost every game store takes.
One-Third of U.S. Video Game Industry Workers Were Laid Off Over the Last Two Years, GDC Study Reveals
Submitted 9 hours ago by simple@piefed.social to games@lemmy.world
https://variety.com/2026/gaming/news/one-third-video-game-workers-laid-off-2025-1236644512/
Comments
Grimy@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
taiyang@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
Not too surprised. What I’ve seen from friends and family in the industry is a mix of union busting and natural shrinking after the 2020 boom. AI is kinda frowned upon for those AAA companies (at least at middle management and below) so it wasn’t so much job replacement although that option might still galvanize union busting.
Granted the companies in question are Japanese and Korean developers, so the US side is mostly licensing and marking and such. And if I’m being honest, some of those marketers really should lose their jobs, or at least stop getting paid twice that of actual talented people… sigh.
RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
Sounds like a massive opportunity to form a lot of new indie studios that isn’t happening. Or people aren’t announcing it.
Reisen@sh.itjust.works 7 hours ago
it’s not happening because at the same time the willingness of investors to find new studios and games also drastically went down
RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Investors are not required to form an indie studio. They are not required to build a fun game that makes a lot of money. Indie studios do not require massive injections of cash. Most indie studios are formed on what is available to the team collectively. It isn’t something that is easy, it takes effort, but it is not impossible. Most indie studios are initially formed with like, less than $20k USD in total investment. Many are just one guy with a budget of $0.
It is more likely that the amount of money that an investor would realistically need to give is considered too small to be worth the PR, but too big to just give away in a whim. Enough that one or multiple studio members could easily take out a personal load to invest into the studio without needing a private investor.
Now, if those people are demanding multiple big six+ figure investments, then they aren’t trying to form an indie studio, they’re trying to form a AAA studio that is publisher independant. Which is an unreasonable ask.
Atropos@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
Can we crowdsource one? I’d throw a few grand into a new studio with the right leadership and governance.
SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
So, what y’all doing now?
Shadow@lemmy.ca 6 hours ago
I was at a gaming studio that closed down in late 2024, most of the people I’ve talked to since have left games and work in general tech.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 6 hours ago
Man good thing they’re coming out with so many new games. I’d be worried about the long term health of these big companies if it weren’t for the solid pipes of great new titles rolling out
Fandangalo@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
I was included in this. Was laid off back in June 2025 from Echtra. One of the best places I ever worked.
The industry is super tough. I got very lucky & started a new job at the beginning of the month. Being out of work for 6 months sucked, and some people I mentor have been out much longer.