So you want to work in the video game industry, but with recent mass layoffs, what are your options?
It’s a fair question, especially right now. The industry is coming off a heavy round of cuts that started in 2023 and has continued into 2026. More than 30,000 jobs have been lost during that stretch. Data shared around the Game Developers Conference shows a large portion of developers have either been laid off or know someone who has.
Who Has Been Affected
This has not been limited to small studios. Epic Games cut over a thousand roles. Ubisoft has continued to reduce teams and cancel projects. Riot Games, Sony’s PlayStation studios, and studios tied to Tencent and Meta have also made cuts. Gaming media companies have reduced staff as they explore automation and lower-cost content. Outside of gaming, the tech industry is dealing with similar layoffs tied to efficiency efforts and the use of AI tools.
Why This Is Happening
Studios expanded quickly during the pandemic when gaming demand surged. Now development costs are higher, timelines are longer, and expectations from leadership have not slowed down. At the same time, AI is starting to take over smaller tasks. It is not replacing full teams, but it is reducing the need for certain tasks, especially in areas like basic testing, support content, and parts of asset creation.
What Still Makes Sense To Pursue
There are still ways in, but they require a more focused approach. Roles that combine technical skill with practical problem-solving are holding up better than narrowly defined positions. People who can build tools, automate workflows, or support how teams produce a game are becoming more valuable. Technical artists are a good example since they sit between art and engineering and help keep production moving.
Engineering paths continue to make sense, especially in gameplay systems, backend services, and networking. These roles are tied directly to how a game functions. Data-related roles are also growing, particularly those focused on player behavior and monetization.
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Looking outside large studios can help. Smaller teams, contract groups, and co-development studios are still active even while AAA companies scale back. Some developers are also building their own path through indie projects or platforms like Roblox and Fortnite Creative. Being able to show something finished carries real weight.
There is also steady demand in areas connected to gaming. Simulation, defense training, and virtual production use the same tools, especially Unreal Engine, but tend to have more consistent funding.
What Tends To Be More Stable
Nothing is completely safe, but some roles hold up better. Jobs tied directly to core systems are usually protected longer because they are critical to keeping a game running. Engineers working on gameplay, engine systems, backend infrastructure, and networking fall into this category.
Roles connected to revenue also tend to last longer. This includes live service operations, monetization systems, and analytics. These teams help keep games profitable after launch.
Positions that involve hands-on leadership and cross-functional execution can also be more durable. Studios may cut layers of management, but they keep people who can move work forward.
On the other side, roles that are easier to scale tend to be more exposed. This includes QA testing, certain types of content writing, and parts of asset production where outsourcing and automation are more common.
The industry is not going anywhere, but it is correcting after rapid growth. Getting into the gaming industry means building skills that are harder to replace and staying flexible in how you apply them.
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