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2d ago

GDC 2026 Survey Finds One in Four Developers Laid Off, Rising AI Use and Union Support

A reworked poll of 2,300 professionals highlights persistent unemployment, AAA turmoil, rising skepticism of generative AI, plus changes in engine choices.

Attendees at GDC 2025 walking between expo hall booths. A sign reads "Gen AI for 3D."
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An attendee sits next to a "GDC" sign inside an exhibition hall during the Game Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. The weeklong video game industry conference is San Francisco's biggest convention since public health orders upended the events business two years ago, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
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Overview

  • 28% of respondents reported being laid off over the past two years, rising to 33% in the U.S., with 17% cut in the last 12 months.
  • Nearly half of those laid off (48%) say they have not found new work, including 36% who were let go 1–2 years ago and are still searching.
  • Half of respondents said their current or most recent employer made cuts in the past year, with two-thirds at AAA companies reporting layoffs; designers were hit hardest at 20% versus 8% in business operations.
  • Support for labor organizing is strong among U.S. workers, with 82% backing unionization and only 5% opposed.
  • AI tools are in use by 36% of respondents, yet 52% say generative AI is harming the industry, with higher uptake in business roles and management than in studio development teams.