Shams Jorjani, the chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios – the studio behind Helldivers 2 – told GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom that the video‑game sector is currently undergoing a profound transition. He explained that the formulas and expectations that guided developers and publishers throughout the 2010s have largely lost their relevance today.
"Sometimes there’s a sense of doom and gloom, but overall the industry is healthy," Jorjani remarked. "What’s changed is that the foundations of our assumptions have shifted dramatically. The playbooks that worked from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t apply any longer.
The bottom line of every business case has been stripped away. No one could guarantee a title’s sales figure, and the numbers we once used as a baseline have effectively been reduced to zero. That’s the new reality." He identified several forces driving this upheaval. One of the most visible is the continued rise of developers from the Asia‑Pacific region.
This year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, for example, highlighted the growing capabilities of studios in China and South Korea, underscoring a trend that has been gathering momentum for roughly a decade. "Asian games and companies have been gradually entering the Western market for ten years, and now it’s become a steady stream of releases that are genuinely competitive," Jorjani said. "China, in particular, appears to have reached a tipping point in terms of the quality and ambition of its titles." He noted that while Chinese gamers remain largely mobile‑centric – a factor that shapes design sensibilities – the overall development speed is accelerating, a process that AI is further amplifying. "AI is a catalyst that’s making games appear faster and faster everywhere," he observed.
"It injects a level of unpredictability into the market that makes it hard to forecast the next five or ten years." Jorjani contrasted the way artificial‑intelligence technology is being embraced in the East versus the West. In Western markets, developers grapple with ethical questions, data‑training rights, and artistic concerns, which can slow adoption.
Conversely, many Asian studios appear less restrained, treating AI as a pragmatic tool for efficiency rather than a moral dilemma. "In the West we’re debating whether AI is ethical, whether companies should be allowed to train on certain data, and whether we should resist it on ideological or artistic grounds," he explained. "In the East, there’s far less hesitation – they simply use it because it works.
That creates a cultural divide in how quickly the technology spreads." Beyond AI, Jorjani highlighted the challenge posed by the lengthy development cycles typical of AAA projects. A single blockbuster can require five or six years of work, coordinated across multiple studios and time zones.
This reality pushes publishers toward familiar IPs and away from risky new concepts, especially in Western markets where financial stakes are high. "When development cycles are long and the market is shifting, you need a very solid bet to mitigate risk," he said. "Brand recognition is the most reliable safety net.
Players know what they’re getting with a name like Worms, even if the game isn’t groundbreaking. Data shows that a large portion of Steam activity still comes from titles older than 18 months, meaning gamers often gravitate toward established franchises rather than untested new IPs." He pointed to companies such as Riot Games and Supercell, which can afford to develop several titles simultaneously; a single hit can offset the quieter performance of the others.
For smaller, independent studios, however, the dynamics are different and potentially advantageous. "Early validation is the secret sauce for any successful game," Jorjani asserted. "The sooner you can show something to a player and receive positive feedback, the more confidently you can iterate. Indie developers excel at this because their cycles are short and they share progress openly – a GIF here, a demo there – and they can pivot instantly based on community reaction." He cited the indie hit Tiny Glade as an example: early animated snippets went viral week after week, generating buzz without a massive marketing budget.
By contrast, a four‑year AAA development timeline forces studios to wait until the product is finished before launching a large‑scale campaign, which can be a costly gamble. Arrowhead, for its part, is adopting an indie‑style approach for its upcoming project. The studio plans to involve a select group of dedicated Helldivers players early in the process, gathering detailed feedback on preferences such as favorite IPs, themes, and gameplay mechanics.
By segmenting the test audience – for instance, those who love aliens versus those who simply enjoy Helldivers – the team can fine‑tune the experience for a specific niche rather than casting a wide, unfocused net. "We’ll put the prototype in the hands of about a hundred Helldivers fans and ask them what they love about the genre," Jorjani explained. "If they respond positively to alien‑centric concepts, we know we’re on the right track. This early data helps us steer development before we invest years of resources." He also referenced the mobile‑gaming model, where developers routinely test concepts through ads and micro‑experiments to see which ideas resonate most with users.
Arrowhead intends to borrow that methodology, treating early player interaction as a form of market research. "Our philosophy has always been to craft games for a particular connoisseur, not just any action‑game enthusiast," he said. "By validating with a focused group early, we can ensure the final product hits the sweet spot for that audience." In closing, Jorjani warned that clinging to outdated playbooks – keeping ideas hidden for years before a big reveal – will no longer suffice in an industry where speed, adaptability, and community feedback dictate success.
"We have to let go of the old habit of playing our cards close to the chest for years and then trying to dazzle with a grand launch," he concluded. "The future belongs to studios that can iterate quickly, listen to players early, and harness new technologies responsibly."