Shams Jorjani, the chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios – the studio behind Helldivers 2 – recently told GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom that the video‑game sector is undergoing a profound transitional period. He argued that the formulas that guided developers and publishers throughout the 2010s have lost much of their relevance today. "There have been moments of pessimism, but overall the industry remains healthy," Jorjani explained. "What’s changed is that the foundations of our assumptions have shifted dramatically.
The playbooks that served us from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t work any longer. The bottom line has vanished from every business case we once relied on. No one could predict a title’s sales with certainty, yet they would still assume a minimum figure.
Take that figure and subtract everything – 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 impressive capabilities of studios from China and South Korea, underscoring a trend that has been gathering momentum for a decade but now feels inevitable. "Asian games and companies have been making steady inroads into Western markets for ten years," Jorjani said.
"Now it’s a steady stream – game after game – that’s proving they can compete at the highest level." China, in particular, appears to have reached a tipping point in terms of quality. While the Chinese market remains heavily mobile‑centric, that focus has cultivated a distinct design sensibility that is accelerating the overall pace of development. Jorjani believes artificial intelligence is amplifying this speed, allowing titles to be produced and iterated upon faster than ever before. "AI is a catalyst," he noted.
"It’s pushing the velocity of game creation worldwide, and we’re seeing that reflected in the sheer volume of releases." Artificial intelligence, however, introduces a new layer of uncertainty. Predicting the shape of the industry five or ten years from now is now far more difficult because AI’s impact varies dramatically across regions.
In the West, developers grapple with ethical debates, data‑training permissions, and artistic concerns. In contrast, many Eastern studios adopt AI with little hesitation, treating it as a pragmatic tool rather than a philosophical dilemma. "Western studios are wrestling with existential questions about ethics and artistic integrity," Jorjani observed. "In the East, it’s a straightforward decision: if it works, use it.
The West may be slower to adopt, but the shift is inevitable." Beyond AI, Jorjani highlighted the classic challenge of long development cycles for AAA titles. Projects that take five or six years to complete often involve multiple teams spread across time zones, which makes publishers wary of investing in unproven IP. Consequently, many Western publishers lean on established franchises to mitigate risk, betting on brand recognition rather than innovation. "When development timelines are long and the market is volatile, you need a safety net," he said.
"A known brand gives you that buffer. Players recognize the name, they know what to expect, and that reduces the gamble." He pointed out that even though gamers frequently demand fresh experiences, data shows a large portion of Steam playtime still goes to titles that are over a year old. A 2025 Steam report indicated that 44 % of user hours were spent on games between one and seven years old, suggesting that familiarity often outweighs novelty in purchasing decisions.
Jorjani cited companies like Riot Games and Supercell as examples of studios that juggle multiple projects simultaneously, allowing one breakout hit to dominate attention while other titles remain in the shadows. This dynamic, he argued, creates a strategic opening for indie developers. "The secret sauce for any successful game is early validation," Jorjani asserted.
"The sooner you can show something to a real player and receive positive feedback, the more confidently you can iterate. Indie teams excel at this because their cycles are short and they share progress openly – a single GIF can generate a wave of community response that guides development." He described Arrowhead’s own approach for its next project, borrowing tactics from mobile developers who test concepts through ads before full production. The studio plans to place early prototypes directly into the hands of a select group of dedicated Helldivers fans, gathering granular data on preferences such as favorite IPs or gameplay themes.
By comparing responses from players who love both aliens and Helldivers against a control group that enjoys Helldivers but not alien settings, the team hopes to pinpoint the most resonant audience early on. "We’ll give the game to about a hundred Helldivers enthusiasts, ask them about their favorite genres, and use that insight to steer development," he explained. "Doing this at the outset, rather than waiting two years for broad testing, lets us refine the experience while the core mechanics are still malleable." Jorjani concluded that embracing this new, iterative mindset requires abandoning the old habit of keeping projects under wraps for years before a grand reveal. Instead, developers must be willing to share early builds, collect feedback, and adapt quickly.
"The old playbook of secrecy and massive late‑stage marketing is outdated," he said. "If you want to succeed in today’s fast‑moving landscape, you need to put the game in players’ hands early, listen, and iterate. That’s the path forward for Arrowhead and for the industry as a whole."