Games Job Search Trends in 2025: What the Data Reveals

Games job search trends in 2025 highlight a challenging landscape. With over 1,120 respondents from around the globe, our Gamedev Salary Pulse 2025 offers a candid snapshot of the realities facing professionals navigating employment shifts within the games industry.

The data paints a picture of an industry still grappling with significant turbulence. From widespread layoffs to rapid technological evolution, many professionals find themselves in the job market not by choice, but by necessity. Here’s what our research tells us.

Why Game Developers Are Job Searching

Among respondents currently unemployed, the reasons prompting their games job search are diverse (in the Gamedev Salary Pulse survey, we specifically asked: “In what circumstances did you lose your job?“):

• Workforce reduction (not mass layoffs): 31.1%
• Mass layoffs: 29.3%
• Lack of funding: 12.8%
• Other: 9.1%
• Company closure: 8.5%
• Project cancellation: 7.9%
• Job taken over by AI: 1.2%

The statistics clearly indicate that structural changes, such as workforce reductions and mass layoffs, account for nearly two-thirds of job losses. Company closures and funding shortfalls remain prevalent, while concerns over AI replacing jobs remain relatively minimal.

How Long Are Game Developers Job Searching?

Understanding how long game developers spend in their games job search provides crucial insights (the question we asked sounded: “How long have you been on the job search now?“):

• Less than 3 months: 47.5%
• 3–6 months: 24.3%
• More than 6 months, less than a year: 17.1%
• A year or more: 11.0%

Almost half of job seekers secure new roles within three months, yet the remainder faces increasingly extended and demanding searches. This underscores a critical challenge: talented professionals with industry experience remain unemployed not due to lack of ability but due to broader industry constraints.

Morale and Confidence During Games Job Search

Job seekers’ morale significantly influences their experience in the games job search. Here’s what game developers shared about their confidence (the exact question we asked in the survey was “Considering the current job market and industry trends, how do you feel about securing new job?“):

• Optimistic: 5.5%
• Somewhat hopeful: 22.1%
• Neutral: 19.9%
• Pessimistic: 33.7%
• Very pessimistic: 18.8%

Over half, a striking majority, report feeling pessimistic or very pessimistic about their job prospects. This morale deficit reveals an emotional toll that the video games industry must acknowledge and address to better support professionals during their job searches.

Navigating the Games Job Search Landscape

The games job search involves far more than just applying to positions online. It’s about managing uncertainty, staying resilient amid instability, and finding visibility in an opportunity-strained market.

Read how to plan your job search after a layoff effectively

Studios and recruiters must recognize that talent is abundant yet challenging to reach effectively. Skilled candidates might not encounter relevant openings or may doubt their ability to succeed in them. Employers must provide not only job opportunities but also reassurance, structured support, and realistic hiring strategies.

Read how to hire game developers on budget

Our Gamedev Salary Pulse research aims to grasp these evolving games job search dynamics, encouraging studios, recruiters, and job seekers to collaborate in shaping a more supportive and efficient hiring ecosystem.