The Game Developers Conference has published the State of the Game Industry 2026 report, based on a survey of more than 2,300 developers from around the world. The document is intended to capture the current state of the gaming industry and addresses key topics for the sector — from generative AI to the wave of mass layoffs, as well as changes in the structure of the video game market.
Layoffs once again became one of the most alarming topics. According to the report, 17% of respondents lost their jobs over the past 12 months, whereas a year earlier this figure stood at 11%. Taken together, this means that 28% of respondents experienced layoffs over the past two years, and in the United States this figure reaches 33%.
The situation is made worse by the fact that far from everyone is able to recover after cutbacks. Nearly half (48%) of laid-off developers still have not found a new job, including 36% of specialists who lost their positions as long as 1-2 years ago. For many, this is turning into a prolonged crisis rather than a temporary pause in their career.
One developer admitted that over the past 5–6 years, they have gone through so many layoffs and so much instability that they have lost trust in employers and faced long-term psychological consequences. At the same time, 23% of respondents expect new cutbacks in the coming year, while another 30% are uncertain about their future.