In the year 2025 European game development houses dramatically increased the amount of money they allocated to external talent, registering a 63 percent jump in spend. This surge outstripped the overall industry’s growth, which was measured at 55 percent for the same period. The figures come from the newly released "Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry" study, authored by Tanja Loktionova, founder of Values Value and co‑founder of InGame Job.
The report highlights that the pool of freelancers working alongside European studios expanded by roughly one‑quarter last year, with a 24 percent rise in the number of independent contractors engaged on game projects. At the same time, the average earnings of freelancers worldwide climbed by 19 percent, indicating that higher rates are being offered across the board. Despite these gains, the data also reveal a series of challenges that both studios and independent workers continue to face.
Nearly six out of ten studios (about 60 percent) reported difficulty in locating qualified specialists for their open positions. This talent shortage is mirrored on the freelancer side, where 54.1 percent of independent workers said they struggled to secure projects that matched their skill sets. Even though the average monthly income for freelancers rose by 19 percent on a global scale, almost two‑thirds—approximately 63 percent—remain uneasy about the stability of their earnings over time. The broader labour market within the games sector appears to be under strain.
Thirty percent of survey respondents disclosed that they had experienced layoffs during the previous twelve months, and the typical timeline for finding a new role was reported to be six months. Looking ahead, half of those surveyed anticipate changing jobs within the next half‑year, and fewer than 50 percent expressed satisfaction with their current employment situation. Professional development also seems to be lagging.
Only 26 percent of participants felt they were making meaningful progress in their careers, while 36 percent described their situation as stagnant. Moreover, a striking 55 percent indicated that they had not received any formal training or upskilling opportunities in the past year, suggesting that many studios may not be investing sufficiently in continuous learning for their staff. Loktionova interpreted these findings as a "structural signal that the industry has matured past its growth‑at‑any‑cost phase and has not yet figured out what replaces it." In her view, the data point toward an emerging two‑tiered team structure within studios.
At the top of this hierarchy sits a small core of directors, lead architects, and other key figures who safeguard the creative vision of a franchise. These individuals typically enjoy comprehensive compensation packages that include equity stakes, health benefits, and performance bonuses. Conversely, the majority of the workforce is increasingly positioned on the periphery. Contractors and freelancers are hired for specific development sprints or phases, receive compensation for that limited scope of work, and are often released once the milestone is completed.
This peripheral model, according to Loktionova, reflects a shift away from the earlier era of massive, permanent staffing in favour of a more flexible, project‑based approach. The report also delved into the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the European development community. A solid majority—61 percent—of developers expressed concern that AI tools could accelerate production timelines and raise expectations for faster output, potentially adding pressure to already tight schedules.
Meanwhile, 35 percent of respondents feared that AI might directly threaten their job security, either by rendering certain roles obsolete or by diminishing overall demand for human talent in specific areas of game creation. Taken together, these trends paint a picture of an industry in transition.
While spending on external expertise is booming and freelancer earnings are on the rise, the underlying issues of talent scarcity, job insecurity, limited training, and the looming influence of AI suggest that studios will need to rethink how they structure teams, support professional growth, and integrate new technologies. The evolution toward a two‑tier model may provide stability for core creative leaders, but it also raises questions about long‑term career pathways for the broader pool of contractors and freelancers who now form an essential, albeit peripheral, part of the game development ecosystem.