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 argued that the assumptions and playbooks that guided developers and publishers throughout the 2010s have lost their relevance in today’s market. "Sometimes there’s been doom and gloom, but overall the games industry is doing well," Jorjani said.
"It’s just that the things we based our assumptions on have changed fundamentally. The playbooks used from 2010 to 2020 no longer work. The bottom has fallen out of every business case that you had. No one knew how well a game would sell, but they assumed it would sell at least this much.
Whatever that number was, take a zero away. And that’s the reality." **Why the landscape is shifting** Jorjani identified several forces reshaping the industry.
First, the continued rise of developers in the Asia‑Pacific region is no longer a peripheral trend but a core driver of global output. This year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, for example, featured a parade of titles from Chinese and South Korean studios, underscoring how Asian creators are now regularly delivering high‑profile releases for Western audiences. "There’s always been a general rise of Asian games and companies into the West," he noted.
"That’s been ongoing for the last ten years, but now it’s reached a point where it’s game after game after game that’s really making it." China, in particular, appears to have reached a tipping point in terms of production quality. Jorjani observed that while the Chinese market remains heavily mobile‑centric – a factor that shapes design sensibilities – the pace of development is accelerating, partly thanks to artificial intelligence tools that streamline asset creation and testing. "It is definitely picking up for sure," he said.
"I think there’s still a way to go, but there are very different sensibilities to what makes games tick as well. The Chinese audience is still primarily mobile‑driven.
That flavours the sensibilities, but it’s going faster. I think AI is accelerating this because more and more games are coming out faster and faster everywhere." **AI as a game‑changing variable** Artificial intelligence, according to Jorjani, is the most disruptive technology the sector has seen since the advent of online multiplayer. Unlike previous hype cycles such as virtual reality, AI is already being woven into production pipelines, from procedural content generation to automated testing and even narrative design.
However, its adoption is uneven across regions. In the West, developers are wrestling with ethical questions, data‑ownership concerns, and artistic integrity: "In the West, we’re asking if it is ethical and whether these companies are allowed to train on this data, and whether we should oppose it on ideological or artistic grounds." By contrast, many Eastern studios appear less concerned with those debates and are more focused on practical output: "In the East, they absolutely do not care whatsoever.
Everyone’s shifted over to using AI completely and without any major moral qualms, because at the end of the day, if you’re making functional code, you’re not making entertainment where you’re trying to connect with other humans." Jorjani warned that this cultural divide could lead to a temporary lag in Western adoption, but he believes the momentum will inevitably catch up. "When you introduce AI to it, I understand that Western game developers have an existential crisis. I am an artist, and I’m also connecting with people on an artistic level, but when you make it into software, it’s just functional. There’s a different attitude there.
The West will be slower on the uptake, but the uptake will still happen." **The weight of long development cycles** Another structural challenge is the length of time required to bring AAA titles to market. Large‑scale projects often span five to six years, involve multiple studios across different time zones, and demand massive budgets. This reality pushes publishers toward safer bets: established franchises, sequels, and remakes. Jorjani explained that when development cycles are lengthy, risk mitigation leans heavily on brand recognition.
"If you know that and the market is changing, you need to be very certain that the bet you’re taking works. The only thing that really, really mitigates risk on that level is brand and recognisability. People know what they’re getting, so you can offset that risk." He illustrated this with the example of the classic Worms series, which continues to sell despite its age because players instantly understand the core experience.
Data from Steam Replay 2025 shows that roughly 44 % of user playtime is spent on titles between one and seven years old, indicating that gamers often gravitate toward familiar IPs rather than untested newcomers. "People scream for new games and IPs, but they don’t actually buy them. We tend to buy remakes," Jorjani said.
"That’s where we were at least very fortunate with Helldivers, in the sense that we were one of the lucky few who were able to get a breakthrough and establish ourselves. And that came through a certain bit of luck and the secret sauce that goes into making the game. It makes it recognisable, but also its own thing." **Indie developers have a strategic edge** While large studios wrestle with massive budgets and long timelines, indie creators can move quickly, test ideas early, and iterate based on direct player feedback.
Jorjani highlighted the importance of early validation: "The secret sauce to any successful game is early validation. The sooner you can get something in front of a person and get positive feedback, you know you’re on track, onto something, and you can iterate." He cited the indie hit Tiny Glade, whose early GIFs generated viral buzz week after week, as a case study of how rapid community response can shape development direction. In contrast, a four‑year AAA cycle often forces marketing to wait until the product is complete, missing the chance to course‑correct based on real‑world reactions.
Jorjani believes Arrowhead will adopt indie‑style practices for its next project, borrowing tactics from mobile developers who routinely test concepts through ad creatives before committing full resources. "We’re going to be putting it in the hands of players right away as soon as possible," he said.
"Our philosophy has always been that we want to make games for a certain type of connoisseur. We don’t want just any action player fan. We want a specific one." To operationalise this, Arrowhead plans to hand a prototype to a curated group of 100 dedicated Helldivers players, then ask them about their favourite IPs and game preferences. By segmenting respondents – for instance, those who love aliens and enjoy Helldivers versus those who like Helldivers but not alien themes – the studio can gauge whether the new concept resonates with its target niche.
This data‑driven approach allows the team to refine gameplay, narrative, and aesthetic choices early, rather than waiting for broad user testing after years of development. **Looking ahead** Jorjani concluded that the industry’s future will be defined by flexibility, rapid feedback loops, and a willingness to discard outdated playbooks. While AI, the rise of Asian developers, and shifting consumer habits introduce uncertainty, they also open doors for smaller teams that can adapt quickly. "But it requires you to let go of that old playbook of playing your cards close to the chest for years, and then dazzle and razzle," he warned.
Embracing early validation, leveraging AI responsibly, and recognising the growing influence of Asian studios may well be the formula that helps both established and emerging creators navigate the next era of gaming.