Shams Jorjani, the chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios—the studio behind Helldivers 2—recently described the current state of the video‑game sector as a genuine "transitional period." In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz conducted on the floor of Gamescom, Jorjani argued that the formulas that guided developers and publishers throughout the 2010s have largely lost their relevance today. He began by acknowledging that, despite occasional pessimistic headlines, the overall health of the industry remains solid. "The industry is doing fine," he said, "but the foundations on which we built our expectations have been altered at a core level.
The playbooks that served us from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t work any longer. The bottom line has vanished from every business case you once relied on. No one could guarantee a title’s sales, and the numbers you once projected now need to be stripped of their optimism—essentially reduced to zero. That’s the new reality." Jorjani identified several forces driving this upheaval.
One of the most visible is the continued ascent of developers from the Asia‑Pacific region. This year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, for instance, highlighted the capabilities of studios from China and South Korea, underscoring how Asian creators are now delivering high‑profile releases on a regular basis.
"There’s been a steady influx of Asian games and companies into Western markets for the past decade," Jorjani explained. "What’s different now is the sheer volume—game after game after game is breaking through and capturing attention." China, in particular, appears to have reached a tipping point in terms of production quality. While the Chinese market remains heavily mobile‑centric—a factor that shapes design sensibilities—the overall polish and ambition of Chinese titles are rising rapidly. Jorjani believes that artificial intelligence is accelerating this trend, enabling developers to iterate faster and bring more products to market.
The conversation then turned to AI, a technology that Jorjani described as a "real change" rather than a fleeting hype cycle like virtual reality once was. He noted a stark contrast between how the West and the East approach AI integration. In Western studios, discussions often revolve around ethics, data ownership, and artistic integrity. In contrast, many Eastern developers appear less concerned with these issues, focusing instead on practical implementation to produce functional code.
"Western developers are experiencing an existential dilemma," Jorjani said. "As an artist, I value the human connection, but when you turn creation into software, it becomes a purely functional exercise. The East seems to have embraced AI without the same moral hesitation, which may give them a speed advantage. The West will likely adopt AI more slowly, but adoption is inevitable." Beyond technology, Jorjani highlighted the structural challenge posed by the lengthy development cycles of AAA titles.
Projects that demand five or six years of work across multiple continents force publishers to lean heavily on established franchises, reducing the appetite for brand‑new intellectual property. This risk‑averse environment makes recognizable IP a crucial hedge against market volatility. "When you have a long development horizon and a shifting market, you need something you can count on," he explained. "Brands provide that safety net.
Players know what they’re getting with a familiar name, which mitigates the fear of investing in an unknown experience." He illustrated this point with data from Steam, noting that roughly half of the platform’s active playtime comes from games older than 18 months, and a significant share of user engagement is with titles between one and seven years old. While consumers vocally demand fresh experiences, their purchasing behavior often favors remakes, sequels, or well‑known series.
Jorjani also referenced companies like Riot Games and Supercell, which maintain a pipeline of multiple projects simultaneously. When one title becomes a breakout hit, the others can fade into obscurity, a dynamic that benefits larger studios but can disadvantage smaller teams. For indie developers, however, Jorjani sees a strategic edge rooted in early validation.
"The secret sauce for any successful game is getting feedback as soon as possible," he asserted. "If you can put something in front of players early and receive positive signals, you know you’re on the right track and can iterate quickly. This agility is a hallmark of indie development." He recounted the rise of Tiny Glade, an indie hit that gained momentum after the studio shared early GIFs that resonated with the community week after week.
In contrast, a four‑year AAA cycle often forces studios to wait until a game is finished before launching a massive marketing push, missing the benefits of iterative audience testing. Arrowhead itself is adopting this early‑feedback mindset for its next project.
Inspired by mobile‑gaming practices—where concepts are tested through ads and performance metrics—the studio plans to place a prototype directly into the hands of a select group of players early in development. By surveying these participants about their favorite genres and IPs, Arrowhead hopes to gauge whether the new title resonates with a targeted audience, such as fans of alien‑themed shooters who also enjoy Helldivers. "We’ll give the game to about a hundred Helldivers enthusiasts and ask them about their preferences," Jorjani explained. "If they love aliens and rate our prototype highly, we know we’re hitting the right niche.
This approach lets us refine the experience long before a full‑scale launch, rather than waiting two years to collect broad user data." In closing, Jorjani warned that embracing this new methodology requires abandoning the old playbook of secrecy and prolonged development. "You have to let go of the habit of keeping your cards close to the chest for years, then unveiling a polished product in a dazzling splash," he said. "Early engagement, rapid iteration, and a willingness to adapt to AI and global market shifts are the keys to thriving in the evolving landscape of game development."