Over a quarter of European game industry workers have faced layoffs in the last year, with more than 10% still unemployed and actively seeking work. The proportion of those unable to land a new role has spiked compared to the previous year, highlighting an increasingly precarious landscape for job security in the region.

These findings stem from the 'Big Game Industry Employment Survey'—a joint effort by online recruitment platform InGame Job and the industry experts at Values Value. The study canvassed 1,650 industry professionals across 85 countries, including Europe, between March and June 2025, with data segmented by region.

The results show that over 26% of European respondents reported being laid off or seeing their teams downsized in the past year. More concerningly, 10.4% of those axed are still out of work—a stark jump from the 6.2% recorded in last year's survey, proving that the market for talent is tightening significantly.

Furthermore, 13% of all respondents have exited the industry entirely in 2025. The talent drain is particularly acute among junior professionals, with a staggering 39% choosing to leave the industry, indicating a severe level of workforce attrition.

In terms of specific roles, game designers, artists, and Quality Assurance (QA) experts bore the brunt of the layoffs. While creative professionals reported the lowest levels of job security, those in analytics, HR/recruitment, and executive leadership felt the most secure in their positions.

Voluntary turnover dropped from 23.2% to 17.5% year-on-year, while involuntary unemployment climbed to 10.4%. Notably, 18% of programmers reported taking over a year to find new work, and the median salary for programmers—especially those focused on Unity—has nearly halved due to a dearth of open roles.

When it comes to picking a new employer, 87% of respondents now prioritize the salary level above all else. This marks a shift away from the days when 'interesting projects' or 'growth opportunities' were the primary draw. Working arrangements (remote/hybrid/office) and work-life balance followed, each cited by 59% of those surveyed.

On a positive note, the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining traction. The proportion of developers finding AI helpful has doubled in the last two years, hitting 63% in the EU and 69% in non-EU regions. Meanwhile, skepticism has waned, with the number of people who have never used AI and have no plans to do so dropping by more than a third since 2023.

However, industry-wide fatigue is palpable. Tanya Loktionova, co-founder of the report, noted that anonymous feedback reflects a level of pain deeper than previous rounds of layoffs. With loyalty and engagement plummeting, many point the finger at poor communication and a lack of transparency from leadership as the root of the problem.