Shams Jorjani, the chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios—best known for creating 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 effectively become obsolete. "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." Jorjani identified several forces driving this shift. One of the most visible is the continued ascent of developers from the Asia‑Pacific region.
This year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, for example, highlighted the capabilities of studios in China and South Korea, underscoring how Asian games are increasingly dominating Western storefronts. "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.
While the Chinese market remains heavily mobile‑centric—a factor that influences design sensibilities—Jorjani believes the rapid pace of development is being accelerated by artificial intelligence. "AI is accelerating this because more and more games are coming out faster and faster everywhere," he said, pointing to the way machine‑learning tools can streamline asset creation, testing, and even narrative generation.
Artificial intelligence, according to Jorjani, is the most disruptive technology the industry has seen since the advent of online multiplayer. Unlike previous hype cycles such as virtual reality, AI is already reshaping workflows and market dynamics.
However, the adoption of AI is uneven across regions. In the West, developers are wrestling with ethical questions: Should AI‑generated content be labeled? Is it permissible to train models on copyrighted material?
These debates have slowed the uptake of AI tools in many Western studios. In contrast, Jorjani observed that many Eastern developers have embraced AI without the same moral qualms, treating it as a purely functional utility rather than an artistic concern. "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," he explained. Beyond technology, the sheer length of development cycles for AAA titles remains a critical challenge. Large‑scale projects often require five to six years of coordinated effort across multiple continents, leading publishers to lean heavily on established franchises rather than gamble on new IP. Jorjani emphasized that long cycles increase risk, making brand recognition a vital hedge.
"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 said. He cited the phenomenon of "analysis paralysis"—the overwhelming flood of new releases that makes it difficult for consumers to discover fresh experiences. Established series like Worms or Helldivers provide a safety net because players already understand the core loop, even if the game isn’t groundbreaking.
Statistical data supports this trend. Steam’s 2025 Replay report indicated that 44 % of total playtime was spent on titles aged between one and seven years, meaning half of the active audience is engaging with older, familiar games rather than brand‑new releases.
While the market loudly demands innovation, purchasing behaviour tells a different story: players frequently opt for remasters, sequels, or proven franchises. Jorjani pointed to companies such as Riot Games and Supercell as examples of studios that maintain a portfolio of multiple projects, allowing one blockbuster to subsidise the development of several lesser‑known titles.
This model, he argued, creates a strategic advantage for indie developers, who can iterate quickly and validate concepts early. "The secret sauce to any successful game is early validation," he said. Indie teams often share progress publicly—through GIFs, short videos, or early access demos—and can gauge community reaction almost instantly. When a small clip goes viral, it provides concrete evidence that the core idea resonates, enabling rapid iteration without the sunk‑cost inertia that plagues four‑year development cycles.
Arrowhead itself is adopting this lean, feedback‑driven approach for its next project. Jorjani explained that the studio plans to expose a prototype to a curated group of 100 Helldivers enthusiasts, collecting detailed preferences about favorite IPs, gameplay loops, and thematic elements. By segmenting the test group—distinguishing those who love alien‑themed shooters from those who simply enjoy the Helldivers brand—the team can fine‑tune its design to hit a precise niche.
This method mirrors the ad‑testing strategies employed by mobile developers, where concepts are iterated based on click‑through rates and user engagement metrics before full production begins. The broader implication of Jorjani’s comments is that the industry must abandon the old playbook of “keep the cards close to the chest for years, then dazzle and razzle.” Instead, developers need to adopt a more transparent, iterative mindset, leveraging AI for rapid prototyping, embracing the growing influence of Asian studios, and focusing on early community validation to mitigate risk. While the future remains uncertain—especially as AI continues to evolve and regulatory frameworks emerge—the combination of shorter development loops, data‑driven decision making, and a willingness to experiment with new markets may well define the next era of gaming. In summary, Arrowhead’s CEO sees the gaming landscape as a rapidly shifting terrain where long‑standing assumptions have been upended.
The rise of Asian developers, the disruptive potential of AI, and the persistent challenge of lengthy AAA cycles are reshaping how games are conceived, funded, and marketed. Indie studios, with their agility and openness to early feedback, are uniquely positioned to thrive amid this turbulence, while larger publishers must adapt by leveraging brand power, shortening development timelines, and integrating emerging technologies responsibly. The path forward, according to Jorjani, lies in embracing change, testing ideas early, and letting go of the antiquated playbooks that no longer serve the industry’s evolving reality.