Look, let's be honest: while the global gaming industry is facing a bit of a squeeze, the job market narrative has shifted, with roles drying up in the US while surging across Asia.

International gaming recruitment platform Sorcery.gg dropped some sobering data on the 18th via Games Industry, analysing hiring trends from over 620 studios over the past year. The verdict for 2025? A global decline of about 4% in job opportunities, marking a rather sluggish period for the industry.

The US job market, in particular, took a proper nosedive last year. Back in May 2025, the States accounted for a healthy 50% of global job postings, but by the turn of the year, that figure had withered to a mere 20%. Overall, the annual recruitment volume saw a sharp 25% contraction compared to the previous year.

Elsewhere in the West, Canada managed a cheeky 20% increase in job postings, but that’s an outlier. The UK, Western Europe, and the Nordics all suffered declines between 13% and 15%, mirroring the States and signalling that the traditional heartlands of game development are currently feeling the pinch.

China, however, is capitalising on this Western slump. Its recruitment volume jumped 25% year-on-year, and from November, it actually overtook the US as the top destination for job postings for two consecutive months. Southeast Asia hasn't been slacking either, boasting employment growth rates nearing 50% for much of the period.

As for the domestic market, it wasn't explicitly covered in this report—likely due to a lack of consolidated research. The mood on the ground remains a bit of a mixed bag, with industry insiders torn between calls of a boom or a full-blown recession.

In short, 2025 is proving to be a year of structural upheaval. The US-centric hiring model is crumbling, and the baton is being passed to Asia, led by China. As North American roles evaporate, the East is stepping in to fill the void, suggesting the industry's centre of gravity is shifting quite significantly.