The Game Developers Conference (GDC) released its annual State of Games Industry survey, revealing that 41% of developers were affected by layoffs in 2024. This number is an increase from the 35% reported last year.
The survey, conducted with market intelligence firm Omdia and Game Developer, involved over 3,000 developers and explored various industry trends, including job roles, platforms, working hours, and generative AI. Notably, game narrative devs saw a significant impact, with 19% being laid off in 2024.
Major reasons cited for layoffs include restructuring, declining revenue, and marketing shifts. When asked about the industry’s issues, many developers pointed to specific problems such as Covid-era overexpansion, rising production costs, and poor leadership.
A notable trend is the rise of unionization among developers, with one-fifth reporting they’ve discussed joining a union in the past 12 months. However, only 29% of respondents’ companies were supportive of these talks.
In terms of job roles, the majority of layoffs affected game narrative devs, despite this segment experiencing year-on-year growth. Developers working for AAA studios have decreased, while indie developers are more likely to work on smaller teams.
The survey also found that most developers continue to work 40 hours or less per week, but there’s a growing trend of longer working hours, with 13% now averaging over 51 hours per week. The use of generative AI is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among PC game devs.
Platforms-wise, PC remains the dominant platform for developers, with 80% making games for it. The rise of the Steam Deck and PlayStation 5 is attributed to their popularity among developers. Cloud services are also gaining traction, with Xbox outperforming PlayStation in this area.
Mobile development has seen an increase for the first time since 2020, while web browser development has experienced a significant jump. Live-service games were a major topic of conversation, with many developers expressing concerns about their viability due to market oversaturation and player burnout.
Source: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gdc-survey-41-of-devs-affected-by-layoffs-in-2024