Shams Jorjani, the chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios – the team behind Helldivers 2 – told GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom that the video‑game sector is currently 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 said. "What has changed is that the foundations of our assumptions have been rewritten.
The playbooks that served us from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t work any longer. The bottom line has been stripped from every business case we once relied on. No one could guarantee a title’s sales figure, yet they would still assume a certain minimum. Take that number and subtract it entirely – that’s the new reality." 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 highlighted the growing capabilities of studios in China and South Korea, underscoring a trend that has been building for a decade.
"Asian games and companies have been making inroads into the Western market for ten years," Jorjani explained. "Now we’re seeing a steady stream of titles from that part of the world that are genuinely competitive." China, in particular, appears to have reached a tipping point in terms of production quality. While the domestic market remains heavily mobile‑centric – a factor that influences design sensibilities – the speed at which Chinese developers iterate is accelerating, a process Jorjani believes is being turbocharged by artificial intelligence.
"The Chinese scene is definitely picking up," he noted. "There’s still a way to go, but the sensibilities are evolving. Mobile dominance shapes the way games are built, yet AI is enabling faster releases across the board." AI, Jorjani argued, is the most disruptive technology the industry has faced in recent memory. Unlike previous hype cycles such as virtual reality, AI is already reshaping development pipelines, asset creation, and even design decision‑making.
However, its adoption varies dramatically between regions. "In the West we’re debating ethics, data‑training rights, and artistic integrity," he said. "In the East, there’s far less hesitation – developers simply integrate AI because it works.
It mirrors what we see in the broader tech sector: once functional code can be generated, the moral debate recedes, especially when the goal is efficiency rather than artistic expression." Jorjani acknowledged that Western creators are experiencing an "existential crisis" as AI blurs the line between art and software. He believes the West will be slower to adopt AI, but the shift is inevitable. Beyond technology, the sheer length of AAA development cycles adds another layer of uncertainty.
Large‑scale titles often require five to six years and coordination across multiple studios and time zones. This reality pushes publishers toward established franchises and away from risky new IP, particularly in Western markets.
"Development timelines remain long," Jorjani said. "When you combine that with a rapidly shifting market, you need a very solid bet.
Brand recognition is the primary risk mitigator. Players know what they’re getting with a familiar name, which reduces uncertainty." He illustrated this point with the phenomenon of "analysis paralysis": with an ever‑growing flood of releases, consumers gravitate toward recognizable series rather than exploring unknown titles. Data from Steam Replay 2025 shows that roughly 44 % of player hours are spent on games aged one to seven years, indicating a preference for established experiences over brand‑new concepts. Nevertheless, Jorjani highlighted a strategic advantage for indie developers.
Companies like Riot Games or Supercell often juggle several projects simultaneously; a single breakout hit can eclipse the others, allowing smaller studios to capture attention more quickly. "Early validation is the secret sauce," he emphasized. "The sooner you can show something to a real player and receive positive feedback, the better you can iterate. Indie teams 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 response." Arrowhead itself is adopting this agile mindset for its next project.
Inspired by mobile‑gaming practices that test concepts through ad performance, the studio plans to place early prototypes directly into the hands of a curated group of Helldivers fans. By surveying these players about their favorite IPs and genres, Arrowhead hopes to gauge whether a new alien‑themed experience resonates with the target audience, rather than waiting years for broad market testing. "We’ll give the game to a hundred dedicated Helldivers players and ask them about their preferences," Jorjani explained.
"If they love aliens and enjoy our existing title, we know we’re on the right track. This early, focused feedback loop lets us refine the product before committing to a massive, costly launch." In concluding remarks, he warned that clinging to the old playbook – keeping a project under wraps for years before a grand reveal – is no longer viable. The industry now rewards transparency, rapid iteration, and data‑driven decisions. "You have to let go of the old model of hiding your cards for years and then dazzling the market with a big splash," Jorjani said.
"The future belongs to those who can test, learn, and adapt quickly, whether they are a massive studio or a small indie team."