adminAI and European game developers are already changing how work gets done, but many workers are more concerned about rising expectations than immediate job losses. Findings from a games industry employment survey highlight worries about work quality, skills assessment and the pressure to produce more.
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AI and European game developers: what the survey found
According to the report Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry, 61% of European game developers worry that generative AI will pressure them to work faster and increase their output. By comparison, 35% believe AI could lead to job losses or reduce demand for their role.
The report was created by Tanja Loktionova, founder of Values Value and co-founder of InGame Job. It draws on results from the 10th Big Games Industry Employment Survey. A condensed preliminary report is available, while the full report is scheduled for publication in November 2026.
For readers interpreting these figures, the distinction matters: concern about faster production is not the same as expecting a role to disappear. The survey points to several different ways AI may affect day-to-day work.
Concerns about quality and skills
Just over half of respondents are concerned that generative AI could lower the quality of work. Meanwhile, 46% say AI makes it more difficult to assess people’s actual skills. These concerns relate not only to whether AI is used, but also to how teams evaluate output and individual contributions.
Ethical concerns were reported by fewer respondents: less than a third, or 29%, said they had concerns about AI ethics, while 12% reported no concerns. These results describe the views of survey participants and should not be treated as a measure of every worker in the European games industry.
How AI is changing work and hiring
AI has changed the way 78% of respondents work. A third, or 33%, reported significant change, while 45% reported some change. The remaining 22% said their work had not changed.
The survey also points to effects on hiring and company size. Thirty-five percent of company founders said they had decided against hiring someone because AI tools could perform the work. At the same time, 48% of founders said their company was operating at a loss, and 60% said they were intentionally keeping their teams small.
These findings do not establish that AI alone caused hiring decisions or financial pressures. They do show why employment concerns can involve both technology and broader business conditions. When assessing claims about AI and jobs, it is useful to distinguish reported decisions from proven causes.
What developers expect from AI
A separate annual Gamescom Dev speaker survey found that 83% of respondents expected generative AI to affect team structure or productivity. Asked about jobs specifically, 36% expected roles to change rather than team sizes to shrink, while 33% anticipated smaller teams.
In that survey, 14% believed AI use would lead to higher individual output, and 17% did not expect workforce reductions. The figures suggest that expectations vary: some respondents foresee changes to responsibilities, while others anticipate effects on team size or productivity.
What the findings mean for game industry workers
For developers and employers, a practical takeaway is to discuss how AI-generated work will be reviewed, how individual skills will be assessed and whether higher output expectations are realistic. Clear role expectations can help teams separate efficiency gains from an assumption that every worker should simply produce more.
Overall, AI and European game developers are connected by a debate that extends beyond job replacement. Survey respondents report changes to their work, concerns about quality and skills, and pressure around productivity. The findings offer a snapshot of industry sentiment, not a prediction that every studio or role will experience the same outcome.
