Gamedev Jobs: Where to Post Roles to Hire Talent [2026 Guide]

Hiring in the games industry requires more than a job ad – it requires visibility in the right places. LinkedIn, Glassdoor or job boards like Indeed may generate plenty of applications, but not always the kind you actually need. While these global platforms deliver volume, they often flood hiring managers with irrelevant profiles, making the recruitment process longer and less effective.

For highly specialized industries such as game development, quality beats quantity. The most efficient way to attract skilled candidates is to post gamedev roles where the right audience already is: on specialized gamedev job boards and curated online communities built specifically for the games industry. This guide compares the websites and communities most effective for sourcing game-ready talent in 2026.

Key information in brief: Where to post gamedev jobs?

If you want qualified candidates, focus your gamedev job posts on curated industry hubs like Hitmarker, 8Bit – Games Industry Recruitment’s job board, Work With Indies, GamesIndustry.biz, ArtStation, Remote Game Jobs, and selected Discord communities (for example Amir Satvat’s Games Community). At 8Bit, we operate both as a specialized gamedev recruitment agency and as a free industry job board, giving your roles extra reach without adding posting costs. Many popular platforms work on a paid-listing model, for example, a single job post on ArtStation typically starts at around $149, on Work With Indies from about $49 for a 45-day listing (for multiple openings), and on Hitmarker from roughly $99 per job. Understanding how these pricing models work helps you build a smart mix of free and paid channels that fits your budget while still reaching highly relevant gamedev talent.

Where can you post gamedev jobs to reach the right talent?

Below is an overview of trusted places to post gamedev jobs if you want to reach people who actually make games, not just “work in tech”:

Platform/community	Overview	Pricing
ArtStation	Portfolio-first hub for 2D/3D artists, animators and concept artists, where recruiters can view candidates’ work directly alongside job listings. Relevant for visual and art-heavy roles.	Paid listings. Single job post usually starting around $149, with additional visibility options.
8Bit – Games Industry Recruitment	Curated job board dedicated solely to the games industry, connected to 8Bit’s recruitment agency network. Ideal as a baseline visibility hub for any studio hiring gamedev talent.	Free job postings for studios. Recruitment services available.
Discord – Amir Satvat’s Games Community	A large, moderated Discord community for people working in or aspiring to join the games industry. It’s known as a safe, supportive space, managed by a devoted, kind-hearted community builder who curates resources and mentoring opportunities for gamedevs.	Free to post, subject to server rules and moderation guidelines.
Games Jobs Direct	Games-focused job board, offering global listings with regional filtering and employer branding opportunities.	Paid listings. Cost based on listing duration, add-ons and promotion level.
GamesIndustry.biz	Industry news site, popular among experienced professionals, with a section dedicated for job listings.	Paid listings.
Hitmarker	Gaming- and esports-focused platform with a large, engaged audience. Strong brand recognition in the broader gaming space.	Paid listings. Single post typically from around $99, with bundle and upgrade options.
Outscal	Platform combining game dev education (industry courses) with a hiring pipeline.	Pricing not disclosed.
RemoteGameJobs	Niche board tailored to remote-only or remote-first gamedev roles, attracting candidates explicitly looking for distributed or location-independent work.	Paid listings, single post costs $29, discount available for posting multiple roles.
Work With Indies	Community-centric job board aimed at indie-leaning and small-to-mid studios, with a tone and audience aligned to creative, smaller-scale projects.	Paid listings, starting from $49 for a 45-day job post.

These platforms don’t compete in a strict “either/or” way. Most studios get the best results by pairing one or two of them strategically: for example, ArtStation plus GamesIndustry.biz for an art-heavy project, or 8Bit job board plus RemoteGameJobs for a fully distributed team.

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Why do generic job boards often fail for gamedev jobs?

Generic hiring platforms are built to serve every industry at once. That makes them powerful at scale, but not very precise when you’re looking for people who understand engines, content pipelines and production realities.

On mainstream platforms, your “Senior Gameplay Programmer” listing might appear next to generic “Software Engineer” roles in fintech or enterprise IT. Candidates searching only for keywords like “C++” or “Unity” can apply en masse without really understanding game-specific requirements. That’s how you end up screening dozens of irrelevant CVs (we know it for a fact – to make sure we are not missing a potentially good source, gamedev recruiters at 8Bit occasionally crosspost current openings on general job boards, and it’s safe to say that’s not where successful placements tend to come from).

In gamedev, context is everything. A tech artist, live ops designer or community manager in a free-to-play mobile environment doesn’t map directly to similar titles in other industries. When your posting lives in a space that doesn’t reflect this nuance, expectations quickly misalign – on skills, pace, tools and even culture.

The result is predictable: lots of applicants, very few interview-worthy profiles, and a hiring team that feels overwhelmed. Specialized gamedev job boards and communities filter the audience before you even read the first CV, which is why they tend to produce better matches with less effort.

How secure are gamedev job boards for data privacy? Example of 8Bit Job Board

The question of data security is not just about encryption, it’s about the fundamental data structure used for applications. For example, 8Bit has intentionally designed the job board to prioritize the data privacy and security of both the job seeker and the hiring studio by adopting a very lean structure – instead of creating an intermediary database for candidate applications, 8Bit job board operates purely as a secure traffic funnel. Please note that each of the platforms listed above has its own approach to data privacy and security, which may differ from the example shown below.

Key Fact: 8Bit does not store applications in any third-party Applicant Tracking System (ATS) of their own.

Direct Redirection

When a job seeker clicks the “Apply” button on an 8Bit job listing, they are seamlessly redirected to the hiring studio’s chosen application method. This is either the studio’s official career page (where the application process and data storage are managed entirely by the studio) or a specific email address chosen by the hiring party.

No Access to Application Documents

Because applications are never processed or stored on our servers, 8Bit team cannot look into, access, or handle a candidate’s private application documents (resumes, cover letters, portfolios, etc.).

Transparent Tracking (UTM)

To measure performance, 8Bit uses a simple, non-identifying tracking mechanism: the UTM (Urchin Tracking Module). This is an extra piece of code automatically added to the destination URL. It allows to track the number of users redirected by the “Apply” button, which the hiring studio can also monitor and analyze in their own Google Analytics. This method tracks traffic volume, not individual user data or application content.

What are the key facts about gamedev jobs market in 2026?

Games industry job market is still turbulent, with new waves of layoffs appearing regularly. It means that you can expect many applications – which can easily go south, with your email flooded by resumes. That is why job posting is no longer about “pick one platform and hope for the best”. It’s about intentionally constructing a posting mix that fits your role, budget and team capacity:

• Typical paid gamedev job boards start around $29–$149 per listing, depending on visibility and audience specialization. Free listings are available at 8Bit – Games Industry Recruitment job board and in the Discord communities (eg. Amir Satvat’s Games Community).
• Many studios mix 1–2 paid industry boards with at least one free or community channel to balance cost and reach.
• Data from Gamedev Salary Pulse 2025 by 8Bit that every recruiter or hiring managers should have in mind shows: 22.8% of employed gamedevs aren’t actively looking for a new role, but 16.1% are not looking yet remain open to offers. 19.3% of employed gamedevs are actively searching and 41.9% are casually browsing opportunities. 13.8% of gamedevs are unemployed and actively looking for a new role – competing not only with other jobseekers, but also with employed professionals who remain open to new opportunities.
• According to the GDC 2025 Game Industry Salary Report, when asked about their current job search, 44% of still-unemployed respondents said they spend 6–10 hours per week looking for work. 40% noted that they’ve already filled out at least 100 applications. For those who have found work after being laid off, 19% reported the same salary as in the previous job, another 19% saw their pay increase by at least 10%, while one-fourth (25%) experienced a decrease of that same magnitude.
• Community spaces such as Discord servers or specialized forums often generate high-intent candidates, but rely on consistent presence from your studio.
• Curated boards run by recruitment agencies or industry collectives reduce spam applications, at the cost of a smaller but more focused candidate base.
• Remote-friendly roles attract a significantly more international applicant pool than strictly on-site positions. According to Gamedev Salary Pulse 2025, significant 42% of respondents are not open to relocating for a gamedev job, with remote workers being the most resistant (47.8%), compared to 40.6% of hybrid workers and 24.2% of on-site workers. This suggests that once professionals experience full remote flexibility, they see little reason to move. Meanwhile, on-site workers are the most open to relocation, possibly because they have already adjusted their lifestyle to their work mode.
• Studios operating in the European Union should be mindful about the pay transparency regulations coming into force in 2026.

Checklist: what should you do before posting a gamedev job?

Checklist before you hit “Post a new job”:

1. Clarify the role and title.

Decide exactly what you are hiring for and name it accordingly. “Senior Unreal Gameplay Programmer” is more useful than “Senior Developer”.

2. Define work model and location.

Decide and state clearly whether the role is on-site, hybrid or remote, and which time zones or countries you can work with. Keep in mind the data we shared regarding remote-friendly arrangements impacting the talent pool in a good way!

3. Align on compensation internally.

Even if you won’t publish the salary (we really recommend you to give salary ranges a try though), agree on a realistic range based on your market and seniority. This helps you pick appropriate platforms. Be mindful not to use a tough job market as a reason to push salaries below what is fair and sustainable, even if some candidates may feel pressured to accept less.

4. Prepare an honest studio snapshot.

Describe your project, team size, tech stack and funding stage in a few clear sentences. Include concrete details rather than generic employer branding.

5. Assign an owner for all incoming applications.

Make one person responsible for checking all channels regularly and responding in a timely way. If you see that nobody has the capacity or experience in managing recruitment, consider reaching out to a specialized gamedev recruitment agency.

6. Have the process planned before applications arrive.

Define your recruitment stages, who will run which interviews, whether you’ll use test tasks, and how final decisions will be made. Don’t improvise once the first CVs land in your inbox – a clear process keeps things consistent, fair and much less stressful for everyone involved.

What are common mistakes when posting gamedev jobs?

• Writing a job description that could fit any tech or media company, without mentioning engines, tools, game type or constraints. This gives experienced gamedevs little reason to take the role seriously.
• Expecting a single platform to solve all hiring problems. Studios sometimes pay for a prominent listing on one board, then feel disappointed when it doesn’t instantly deliver perfect candidates, forgetting that job posting is only part visibility and part follow-up and outreach.
• Ignoring community spaces such as Discord servers, local gamedev groups or online meetups. These can bring in highly engaged candidates who never scroll job boards at all, but they require someone on your team to be visibly present and responsive.
• Waiting for days before starting to review applications. In a competitive market, strong candidates often move quickly, so delaying your first screening pass can mean losing them to more responsive studios. At 8Bit, our gamedev recruiters check incoming resumes as soon as physically possible to reach out to promising candidates early. Keeping a job ad live for weeks and only then reviewing applicants is a waste of time and money for every side involved.

Why should you think about job posting as part of your wider hiring strategy?

Where you post gamedev jobs is only one piece of the puzzle, but it’s a piece you can control relatively easily. Choosing a few targeted platforms, understanding their audiences and aligning your expectations around cost and effort will already put you ahead of many studios.

From there, the rest of your strategy – screening, interviews, assessment, offers – becomes easier because you’re starting from a stronger, more relevant candidate pool. In a talent market as turbulent as game development, that alone is a meaningful competitive advantage.