The 2026 Game Developers Conference (GDC), which has been renamed the GDC Festival of Gaming, takes place in early March. Ahead of the San Francisco-based industry event, GDC has released its annual survey of game industry developer sentiment. Over 2,300 industry professionals responded on topics ranging from genAI to layoffs, providing a small snapshot of what’s going on across video game companies big and small. It’s not a pretty picture.
A majority of game developers now think genAI will hurt the game industry
Back in 2024, game makers were relatively split on the advantages and downsides of the emerging LLM craze. Now they are increasingly horrified by it. Last year, 13 percent of respondents thought genAI would have a positive impact on the game industry. In 2026 it’s just 7 percent. Instead, 52 percent think the technology will have a negative impact, up double digits from just 12 months ago. Artists, storytellers, programmers–they’re all down on it. Still, actual adoption of the technology for things as simple as writing emails is growing.
Developers are bailing on making games for Xbox
According to the new survey, roughly 40 percent of respondents said they were interested in making their next game for PlayStation 5 or Switch 2. Only 20 percent were planning to bring it to Xbox Series X/S. That’s still above Android, iOS, and the original Switch, but it’s a steep drop-off from last year when the Xbox number was 34 percent. PC is still far and away the most popular platform. Maybe that’s why Microsoft is pivoting to it.
Union support is surging
Over 80 percent of U.S.-based developers told the survey they support unionization, with 62 percent saying they were interested in joining one. Those numbers show there’s likely room for many more game studios to organize, as only 13 percent of respondents said they’re actually currently in a union. Union drives have been sweeping through Microsoft-owned subsidiaries thanks to a neutrality clause the company previously agreed to, but unions have struggled to take hold at many other big publishers like Electronic Arts and 2K Games.
A third of U.S. developers said they were laid off in the last two years
That’s a devastating number which shows that the full impact of the recent downsizing spree will still be with the industry for years to come. Meanwhile, 17 percent of respondents said they were laid off within the last 12 months, a steady annual increase over the previous two years. Even worse, nearly 50 percent of people laid off weren’t able to find another job in the video game industry during that time.
Trump take game
The administration’s trade war and anti-immigrant crackdown appears to be taking a real toll on the game industry. According to the survey, 31 percent of respondents canceled travel plans to the U.S. while another third are currently reconsidering future travel. A whopping 60 percent of non-U.S. industry leaders said the policies had negatively impacted their desire to conduct business based in the country. On the trade side, 38 percent of respondents said tariffs had impacted their financial decisions.
