Shams Jorjani, the chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios—the studio behind Helldivers 2—recently described the current state of the video‑game sector as a "transitional phase" that is reshaping the way developers and publishers operate. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom, Jorjani argued that the formulas that guided success throughout the 2010s have largely lost their relevance today.
He explained that while occasional pessimism surfaces, the overall health of the industry remains strong. The problem, he said, is that the underlying premises on which business plans were built have been upended.
"The playbooks that served us from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t work any longer," he asserted. "The bottom line of every financial model has collapsed. In the past we could assume a game would sell a certain number of copies; now you have to subtract that expected figure to zero.
That’s the new reality." Jorjani identified several forces driving this transformation. 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 capabilities of studios from China and South Korea, underscoring how Asian companies are increasingly delivering high‑quality titles that compete on the global stage. "For a decade there’s been a gradual influx of Asian games and companies into Western markets," Jorjani noted.
"Now it’s reached a tipping point where game after game from that region is making a real impact." China, in particular, appears to be hitting a quality benchmark that rivals long‑established Western studios. Jorjani observed that Chinese developers are still largely mobile‑focused, which shapes their design sensibilities, but the speed at which they produce games is accelerating—an effect he attributes in part to artificial intelligence.
"AI is turbo‑charging development everywhere," he said. "More games are being released faster than ever before." The advent of AI, according to Jorjani, adds a layer of unpredictability that makes it difficult to forecast the market even five years out, let alone a decade. While AI has been hyped before—think virtual reality—this technology is different because it is already being woven into production pipelines across the globe, albeit with divergent attitudes. In the West, developers are wrestling with ethical questions: should AI‑generated content be allowed?
Is it permissible for companies to train models on existing game assets? These debates often slow adoption. By contrast, Jorjani described the Eastern approach as more pragmatic and less encumbered by moral concerns. "In the East, they just use AI because it works," he said.
"There’s no hesitation about ethics when the goal is functional code, not artistic expression." He warned that this cultural divide could lead to an "existential crisis" for Western creators, who must balance artistic integrity with the efficiency AI provides. While the West may be slower to embrace AI, Jorjani believes the technology will eventually become ubiquitous. Beyond AI, another major challenge is the length of development cycles for AAA titles.
Large‑scale projects often require five or six years and coordination across multiple studios and time zones. This prolonged timeline pushes publishers to rely on established franchises rather than invest in brand‑new intellectual property, especially in Western markets. "When development cycles are long and the market is shifting, you need a very safe bet," Jorjani explained. "Brand recognition is the only real 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"—the overwhelming flood of new releases that makes it hard for consumers to decide what to try. A well‑known series like Worms offers an instant shortcut: players understand the gameplay loop and can make a quick purchase decision, even if the game isn’t groundbreaking. Statistics support this behavior.
Recent Steam data shows that roughly half of the titles played on the platform are older than eighteen months, and a 2025 Steam Replay report indicated that 44 % of total playtime was spent on games between one and seven years old. Despite vocal demands for fresh experiences, many gamers still gravitate toward remakes and sequels. Jorjani cited Arrowhead’s own experience with Helldivers as a rare case of a new IP breaking through the noise, thanks to a combination of luck and a distinctive “secret sauce” that made the game instantly recognizable.
He also pointed to companies like Riot Games and Supercell, which juggle multiple projects simultaneously. When one title becomes a blockbuster, the others fade into obscurity, creating an environment where smaller, more agile studios can thrive. "Indie developers have a strategic advantage because they can validate ideas early," Jorjani said. "The sooner you put something in front of a player and receive positive feedback, the quicker you can iterate.
This is the strength of software development and it works especially well for indie teams that share progress openly—posting a GIF, for instance, and watching the community react." He recounted the rapid rise of the indie hit Tiny Glade, which gained momentum after early visual teasers went viral week after week. By contrast, a four‑year AAA cycle forces studios to wait until the final product is polished before launching a massive marketing push, often missing the opportunity for early community input. Arrowhead plans to adopt this early‑validation mindset for its next project. Jorjani explained that the studio will borrow tactics from mobile developers, who frequently test concepts through ad‑based experiments to gauge consumer interest.
"We’ll hand the prototype to a select group of 100 Helldivers fans and ask them about their favorite IPs and game preferences," he detailed. "If they love aliens and enjoy Helldivers, we know we’re on the right track. This early data lets us fine‑tune the experience before committing to a full‑scale launch." The CEO concluded by urging the industry to abandon the old habit of keeping projects under wraps for years and then unveiling them with a spectacular showcase. Instead, he advocated for a transparent, iterative process that leverages community feedback from the outset.
"Letting go of the traditional playbook and embracing continuous player involvement is the way forward," Jorjani affirmed. "That’s how we’ll create games that resonate in this rapidly changing landscape."