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 transition. He argues that the playbooks that guided developers and publishers throughout the 2010s have largely lost their relevance in today’s market. "There have been moments of doom‑and‑gloom, but overall the industry remains healthy," Jorjani explained. "What has changed is the bedrock of the assumptions we used to make.
The strategies that worked from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t apply any longer. The bottom line has vanished from every business case you once relied on. No one could predict exactly how many copies a title would sell, but they assumed a minimum figure.
Take that number and subtract everything—because that’s the reality now." He identified several forces driving this shift. One of the most visible is the continued rise 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 games are increasingly dominating Western storefronts. "For a decade there has been a steady influx of Asian games and companies into the West," Jorjani said. "Now it has reached a tipping point where game after game from that region is breaking through and setting new standards." China, in particular, appears to be at a crossroads of quality and quantity. Jorjani noted that while Chinese gamers are still largely mobile‑centric—a factor that shapes design sensibilities—the overall output is accelerating, partly due to artificial intelligence tools that speed up production pipelines.
"The Chinese market is definitely picking up," he observed. "There’s still room to grow, but the sensibilities are evolving.
AI is pushing everything faster, so we’re seeing more titles emerging at a rapid pace across the globe." Artificial intelligence, according to Jorjani, is the most disruptive technological trend the industry has faced since the advent of virtual reality. He stressed that AI’s impact varies dramatically between East and West. In Western markets, developers grapple with ethical questions, data‑training rights, and artistic integrity, whereas many Asian studios adopt AI with little hesitation, focusing on functional outcomes rather than philosophical debates. "In the West we’re asking whether AI is ethical, whether companies should be allowed to train on certain data, and whether we should oppose it on ideological or artistic grounds," he said.
"In the East, there’s almost no moral qualm—if it works, they use it. This creates a cultural divide in how quickly AI is integrated into game development." Jorjani also highlighted the existential tension that AI introduces for Western creators. As an artist, he feels a pull between the creative, human‑centric aspects of game design and the efficiency‑driven nature of software development. He predicts that while the West may adopt AI more slowly, the shift is inevitable.
Beyond technology, the sheer length of AAA development cycles compounds uncertainty. Large‑scale projects often require five to six years and coordination across multiple continents, making publishers risk‑averse. To mitigate that risk, they lean heavily on established brands and recognizable IPs, which provide a safety net in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
"Development cycles remain long," Jorjani affirmed. "When you know the market is shifting, you need to be absolutely sure your gamble will pay off.
Brand recognition is the primary risk mitigator. Players know what they’re getting with a familiar name, so you can offset the uncertainty." He pointed to the phenomenon of “analysis paralysis” that arises when consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of new releases. Familiar franchises—such as Worms, which has existed for decades—offer a clear value proposition, whereas novel IPs, despite generating buzz, often struggle to convert interest into sales.
Statistics from Steam Replay 2025 indicate that nearly half of all playtime is spent on games older than 18 months, underscoring the market’s preference for proven titles. Jorjani cited Riot Games and Supercell as examples of companies that maintain a portfolio of multiple projects, yet only a handful achieve breakout success, allowing the others to fade into obscurity. This dynamic, he believes, creates a strategic opening for indie developers who can move faster and validate concepts early. "The secret sauce for any successful game is early validation," he asserted.
"The sooner you can show something to a real player and receive positive feedback, the more confident you are that you’re on the right track. This is the strength of software development and indie creation. Indie teams often share early builds, GIFs, or prototypes publicly.
If the community reacts positively, they know they’re heading in the right direction." He recounted the rise of Tiny Glade, an indie title that exploded in popularity after the developers posted early animated GIFs that resonated with audiences week after week. By contrast, a four‑year AAA cycle that waits until the final product to launch a massive marketing push lacks that iterative feedback loop. Arrowhead is adopting this early‑validation mindset for its next project.
Jorjani explained that the studio plans to involve a select group of dedicated Helldivers fans from the outset, gathering detailed preferences about favorite genres, IPs, and gameplay elements. By segmenting this test audience—such as players who love aliens and enjoy Helldivers—the team can gauge whether a new concept resonates with a specific niche before committing to broader development. "We’ll put the prototype in the hands of about a hundred Helldivers players and ask them what they love about the genre," he said. "If they respond positively, we know we’re hitting the right target.
This early data collection lets us iterate quickly rather than waiting two years for broad user testing." Jorjani concluded by emphasizing that success now requires abandoning the old playbook of keeping projects hidden for years and then unveiling a polished product with a big splash. Instead, developers must embrace transparency, rapid feedback, and a willingness to pivot based on community response—principles that indie studios have been mastering for years and that larger studios are beginning to adopt as the industry continues its rapid transformation.