Survey: One in four game professionals laid off in the past year

• Marketing saw the highest exit rate, with 24% leaving the games sector entirely.
• 15% have been job hunting for over a year or remain unemployed.
• 50% report suffering from professional burnout.
• 41% are developing personal projects alongside their full-time roles. 

In the past year, 26% of professionals in the games industry faced layoffs, with game designers, artists, and quality assurance teams being the most affected. 

That's according to a new survey from InGame Job and recruitment platform Values Value, which showed that 24% of marketing professionals left the sector altogether, marking the highest rate of career exits across all roles.

Moreover, the report found that 15% of professionals have been searching for jobs for over a year or remain unemployed. Among junior-level workers, 39% left the games industry between 2024 and 2025. 

Shifting focus 

Salary remains the leading priority for 87% of professionals, reflecting growing financial concerns across the industry. 

Half of all respondents reported experiencing burnout, while 41% are simultaneously working on personal projects outside their main roles. 

Interest in hyper-casual game development is at an all-time low, with only 1% pursuing it.

The Big Games Industry Employment Survey gathered insights from 1,650 professionals across 85 countries. You can access the full report here.