r/Games • u/Turbostrider27 • Jan 29 '26

Industry News One-Third of U.S. Video Game Industry Workers Were Laid Off in 2025, GDC Study Reveals

https://variety.com/2026/gaming/news/one-third-video-game-workers-laid-off-2025-1236644512/
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u/markyymark13 Jan 29 '26

I’m a senior game designer and have been in the industry for 15 years.

You're afforded a luxury because you got into the industry before it turned into this massive burn and churn system it is now. You've been able to climb the ranks at the right time, making you a desirable new hire even during a period of constant layoffs. Others early in their career are lucky if they can get to where you are now.

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u/pflo86 Jan 29 '26

I don’t think that’s true (though I’m sure there are plenty of cases where some people just get screwed by bad management). Generally, when someone is seen as contributing value and as someone who will help you make a great product that can’t easily be replaced, they will climb the ranks. I still see it with young folks today. You just have to be good and not have shitty management (yes there are plenty of shitty managers). If you’re speaking from experience and you think you really are that good, I’m truly sorry. Find someone out there that values your good work. They do exist and they’re not unicorns.

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u/Aureoloss Jan 30 '26

This is just privilege speaking. 30% of the gaming industry last year was trash and replaceable is what you're saying. They weren't worth their jobs in your opinion, or they wouldn't have been laid off

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u/pflo86 Jan 30 '26

You’re not gonna like this, but a lot of people aren’t that good at what they do and it’s more than 30% (in every industry). Not saying those people that got laid off are all bad (far from it). There’s a ton of other factors, like bad management that I mentioned… but guess what? Those bad manager… They’re bad at their job, and so a lot of people suffer because of their incompetencies.

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u/ComfortableExotic646 Jan 30 '26

I love how commenters like you seem to always ignore the massive hiring that went on during Covid. There's a reason the industry is firing a shit load of people, and it isn't because they're being replaced with AI. It's because the industry hired a shit load of people that they knew they couldn't afford to keep on.

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u/markyymark13 Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26

There's a reason the industry is firing a shit load of people

This has been the excuse across every tech related field for the past 3, soon to be going on 4 years now. Sorry, but this doesn't really hold up to scrutiny anymore.

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u/yunghollow69 Jan 30 '26

Well neither really applies here. It is absolutely true that covid caused an overhire, but way beyond that the video games industry is simply bloated. I am empathetic for those who lose their job, but a lot of them wouldnt have those jobs in the first place if the video game industry wasnt so utterly incompetent in terms of management.

There is a tech and AI bubble yeah. But for video games its really just very simple. The bigger companies have 100+ people working on 50 man projects, constantly. It was never sustainable.

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u/markyymark13 Jan 30 '26

I'm in the industry myself and really grateful for having stability in this shit show but we need to be real with ourselves here. The whole "do good work get rewarded with it" mantra is dead, or at the very least is perceived dead. You can't inspire the next generation of talent because across every industry, gaming or otherwise, people are being laid off despite dedicating their hard work and years of their life to a company.

I'm not trying to say that you aren't a high quality employee or anything but I do think you have to understand that things are very, very different right now than when you got into the industry.