Video Game Industry Employment Grew Despite Mass Layoffs

Despite a wave of massive layoffs, total employment in the gaming industry has grown by nearly 1% since 2022 as jobs actively shift away from the United States.

The total number of people working in the video game industry has increased despite widespread layoffs, with jobs increasingly moving from the United States to Asia.

According to ASGC founder Amir Satvat, the gaming industry could lose more than 14,000 employees by the end of 2026. At the same time, the total workforce has grown by nearly 1% since 2022.

Satvat explains this trend as a geographical redistribution of jobs. Companies are leaving the United States due to higher labor costs and are searching for government incentives and accessible specialists instead. The United States accounts for more than 60% of recent layoffs, with over half of those cuts affecting California.

Meanwhile, the number of jobs in the Asia-Pacific region has grown by 10%, driven primarily by China. Employment figures in Europe have remained virtually unchanged.

Satvat points out that the scale of the Chinese gaming industry is frequently underestimated, meaning the overall picture is not as bleak as the news about layoffs might suggest.