3 documents
2026 STATE OF THE GAME INDUSTRY | 2 FOREWARD................................................................................... 3 1 DEMOGRAPHICS ............................................................. 5 2 INDUSTRY LAYOFFS.................................................... 13 3 GENERATIVE AI .............................................................. 19 4 ENGINES, PLATFORMS, AND FEATURES....... 28 5 THE BUSINESS OF GAMES .....................................
Foreword Contents 1. The Global Game Developer Community It seems fitting that we’ve reached the 13th year 1. The Global Game Developer Community 2 of GDC’s State of the Game Industry, a number viewed as lucky in some cultures and unlucky in others, because it feels like the last 12 months 2. Industry Layoffs 8 have seen their share of fortune and heartbreak.
Presented by GDC C Game Developer This past year has been a time of change and opportunity. Studios and companies are working towards a new normal, while developers have their eye on how to reshape the game industry and their role within it. The metaverse has become more than a buzzword, as have the topics of unionization and the Great Resignation. This is all happening under the umbrella of increased studio conglomeration, which could change the shape of the video game industry as we know it.