In the year 2025, game development houses across Europe dramatically increased the amount of money they allocated to external talent, posting a surge of 63 percent compared with the previous year. This jump not only eclipsed the broader industry’s growth— which was measured at 55 percent worldwide— but also highlighted a distinct shift in how European studios are structuring their production pipelines. The figures come from the recently released study titled "Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry," authored by Tanja Loktionova, the founder of Values Value and co‑founder of InGame Job.
Loktionova’s analysis draws on a comprehensive employment survey that captured the experiences of both studios and independent professionals operating within the gaming sector. One of the most striking data points in the report is the 24‑percent rise in the number of freelancers who partnered with European studios over the past twelve months. This growth reflects a broader trend toward flexible staffing models, where studios tap into a pool of specialised contractors for particular phases of development—such as art sprints, narrative design, or technical optimisation—rather than maintaining a permanently large in‑house roster.
At the same time, the average earnings of freelancers worldwide climbed by 19 percent, indicating that demand for high‑skill, short‑term talent is translating into tangible financial rewards for those workers. Despite these positive signals, the labour market remains fraught with challenges.
Nearly six out of ten studios (59.8 percent) reported difficulty in locating qualified specialists to fill critical roles. On the other side of the equation, 54.1 percent of freelancers said they struggled to secure projects that matched their expertise or career aspirations.
This mismatch points to a growing tension between supply and demand: studios need highly specific skill sets, while freelancers seek stable, meaningful work that aligns with their professional growth. Income stability continues to be a major source of anxiety for the freelance community.
Although the average monthly remuneration for freelancers rose by 19 percent on a global scale, almost two‑thirds (62.7 percent) of these independent workers expressed concerns about the reliability of their earnings. The fear of fluctuating cash flow is compounded by broader industry instability; 30 percent of survey respondents indicated that they had experienced a layoff within the last year, and the typical timeline to land a new position stretched to around six months.
Job mobility appears to be accelerating. Half of those surveyed anticipate changing employers within the next half‑year, and fewer than 50 percent reported feeling satisfied with their current roles. Professional development also seems to be stalling: only 26 percent felt they were making meaningful progress in their careers, while 36 percent described their situation as stagnant.
Moreover, a substantial 55 percent disclosed that they had not received any formal training or upskilling opportunities during the previous twelve months, underscoring a gap in employer‑provided learning resources. Loktionova interpreted these patterns 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 other words, the era of relentless expansion driven by massive hiring sprees is giving way to a more measured, perhaps cautious, approach that still lacks a clear, sustainable blueprint.
The report also identified an emerging "two‑tier team model" within studios. At the top tier sits a compact core of senior figures—directors, lead architects, and custodians of a franchise’s creative vision—who are typically compensated with equity stakes, comprehensive health benefits, and performance bonuses. This inner circle is tasked with safeguarding the long‑term artistic and commercial integrity of a game series. Surrounding this nucleus, however, is a growing periphery of contractors and freelancers who are engaged for discrete sprints or development milestones.
Once a particular phase concludes, many of these external contributors are released from their contracts, creating a revolving‑door dynamic that can be both efficient and precarious. Another dimension of the industry’s evolving landscape is the impact of generative artificial intelligence. The study found that 61 percent of European developers are apprehensive that AI tools will increase pressure to accelerate production cycles and deliver larger volumes of content. While some view AI as a productivity enhancer, a notable 35 percent fear that the technology could ultimately displace them or diminish the demand for their specialized skill set.
This ambivalence reflects a broader debate about how AI will be integrated into creative pipelines without eroding the human talent that drives innovation. In summary, the 2025 data paints a picture of a European gaming sector in transition.
Studios are channeling significantly more funds toward external talent, freelancers are earning higher wages yet remain uneasy about income continuity, and both sides grapple with recruitment mismatches and training shortfalls. The emergence of a two‑tier staffing structure suggests a strategic pivot toward leaner core teams supported by flexible, project‑based contributors. At the same time, the looming influence of generative AI adds another layer of uncertainty, prompting many professionals to question how their roles will evolve in the years ahead.
All these factors together signal a period of recalibration, where the industry must balance efficiency, creative integrity, and workforce wellbeing as it moves beyond its rapid‑growth phase.