The results of the 13th annual State of the Game Industry Survey have been released, shining a light on how developers feel about all manner of hot-button industry topics, including generative AI.
The majority of surveyed developers (52%) said they work for companies that use generative AI, with 36% reporting that they personally use such tools for game development. While the majority of surveyed developers are working at companies that use generative AI, 30% of respondents said they believe generative AI is having a negative impact on the video game business (up 12% from 2023). The surveyed developers cited things like IP theft, energy consumption, and AI program biases as contributing to their feelings toward generative AI.
The survey also founded that Business and Finance roles (51%) were the most likely to use AI tools, with Production and Team Leadership (41%), and Community, Marketing, and PR (49%) following. What’s more, the survey found that 28% of developers between ages 18-34 used AI technologies at work, compared to 47% for video game developers over the age of 55.
AI has been a controversial topic in video games and beyond, in part over fears about job losses. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has said the rise in AI will lead to job losses in the short term but will ultimately create more jobs total, just like what happened with previous labor revolutions. Video game actors also remain on strike, due in part to concerns about the use of AI.
Outside of AI, the State of the Game Industry study found that men make up 66% of the work force, down from 75% in 2020. Women and non-binary developers account for 32% of all game developers, up from 29% and 24% in the prior years. The percent of respondents identifying as LGBTQ+ was 24%, and white/caucasian developers accounted for 59% of the total game developer base in the study.
The study also touched upon industry layoffs, with the largest percentage (30%) saying they were not at all concerned about future layoffs. The study organizers said this surprising statistic might have to do with the number of “N/A” responses it got from developers who may have already been laid off. Layoffs in the video game industry were rampant in 2024 and have continued in 2025.
Another data point from the survey found that PC is far and away the most popular platform for developers, with a whopping 80% of respondents saying they were currently making a game for PC. This was followed by PS5 (38%), Xbox Series X|S (34%), Android (29%), and iOS (28%).
The study also covered live-service games, with the biggest percentage (42%) saying they would not want to make a live-service title as their next game, with only 13% saying they would want to. The live-service game market is big and potentially lucrative, but it’s also highly competitive. Sony recently made headlines for cancelling two more live-service games, including a God of War title, following a strategic review.
The State of the Game Industry study was compiled from more than 3,000 developer responses, published and compiled in partnership between the Game Developers Conference and Omdia. The study is largely drawn from responses from independent and AA studio developers. Only 15% of responses came from AAA developers, down from 18% a year before.
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