Each year, thousands of professionals contribute to GDC’s State of the Game Industry report, offering studios, investors, and creators a snapshot of where the market is headed.
This year’s survey gathered responses from more than 2,300 game industry professionals, including developers, producers, marketers, executives, and investors, covering topics such as layoffs, diversity and inclusion, business models, and generative AI. Just over half of respondents were based in the United States, with a disproportionate share coming from North America and Western Europe, meaning the survey is not fully representative of the global industry.
However, some of these findings may reflect broader global trends. You can feel the mood shifting around AI, with its use increasingly sparking backlash whenever it comes up, from Baldur’s Gate 3 controversies to “Microslop”.
The survey found that 52% of game industry professionals believe generative AI is having a negative impact on the industry, up from 30% last year and just 18% the year before. Visual and technical artists, designers, narrative teams, and programmers are the most critical, which probably comes as no surprise.
Business-focused professionals report the highest AI usage at 58%, upper management isn’t far behind at 47%, with studio directors sitting in between at 36%.
