In 2025, European studios elevated spending on external roles by 63%, outpacing the worldwide progress charge of 55%.
That is in keeping with the ‘Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry‘ report by Values Worth founder and InGame Job co-founder Tanja Loktionova.
The variety of freelancers collaborating with European studios grew by 24% final 12 months, whereas common freelancer revenue elevated by 19% globally.
Practically 60% of studios reported problem sourcing certified specialists, whereas 54.1% of freelancers struggled to seek out acceptable tasks.
Though common freelancer month-to-month revenue rose 19% globally, practically 63% of freelancers stay involved about revenue stability.
Within the present labor market, 30% of respondents skilled layoffs in the previous 12 months, and it sometimes takes six months to safe a brand new place.
Half of respondents count on to alter jobs throughout the subsequent six months, and fewer than half are happy with their present roles.
Solely 26% of respondents felt they had been rising professionally, 36% reported stagnation, and 55% didn’t obtain any coaching in the previous 12 months.
Loktionova described this knowledge as “a structural sign that the business has matured previous its growth-at-any-cost section and has not but found out what replaces it.”
Knowledge suggests “studios are converging on a two-tier workforce mannequin” with a “small core of administrators, lead architects, and the individuals who defend a franchise’s artistic throughline” who obtain “fairness, well being protection, and bonuses.”
“Everybody else more and more sits in the periphery: contractors and freelancers employed for a particular dash or growth section, then let go the second it ends,” mentioned Loktionova.
The ‘Talent Alerts Reshaping the Video games Trade’ report additionally discovered that 61% of European builders are involved that generative AI will place them underneath stress to work sooner and produce extra.
Nevertheless, 35% consider that AI would possibly trigger them to lose their job or cut back demand for his or her function.