After Helldivers 2 took home four awards from the Golden Joysticks earlier this week, one dev from Arrowhead Game Studios spoke on the state of the games industry and the work that needs to be done to remedy the issues currently plaguing it.
During an interview at the event, Helldivers 2 production director Alex Bauwl explained that while it’s currently an “amazing time” when it comes to the games that are being released, the industry as a whole is in fairly poor shape. “I think the industry these days is in such a dire state”, he begins. “It’s so important to take the time to acknowledge that games are being released and it’s such an amazing time…but we need to be conscious that the games industry is in turmoil, and we need to be there to help each other.”
Over the last two years, the games industry has been ravaged by layoffs, with PC Gamer reporting approximately 11,250 people in 2023 losing their jobs. In 2024, things have only worsened, with estimates from Eurogamer putting the number of jobs lost between January and September alone already hitting 13,000.
One major source of layoffs in 2024 has been Microsoft, which has reportedly laid off more than 2,500 workers alone, with several successful studios shutting down in the process, such as Hi-Fi Rush develop Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, developer of the Dishonored series and Redfall.
Unfortunately, these layoffs currently show no signs of stopping, with developers calling for more to be done to protect the livelihoods of their peers and ensuring that the people making 2024 such an amazing time for games can continue to do so into the future.
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