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 explained that the formulas that guided developers and publishers throughout the 2010s have largely lost their effectiveness, and that the industry now operates under a very different set of assumptions. "Sometimes there’s a sense of doom and gloom, but overall the industry is healthy," Jorjani remarked. "What’s changed is that the premises we built our business cases on have been upended.
The playbooks that served us from 2010 to 2020 simply don’t work any longer. The bottom line has vanished from every model that once seemed reliable. No one could accurately predict a title’s sales, but they would at least assume a baseline figure.
Take that number and subtract everything—because that’s the reality we face now." He identified several forces driving this shift. One of the most visible is the continued ascent of developers in the Asia‑Pacific region. This year’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, for instance, highlighted the capabilities of studios from China and South Korea, underscoring how Asian games are increasingly dominating Western conversations.
"There’s always been a gradual rise of Asian developers and companies entering the Western market," Jorjani said. "That trend has been building for a decade, but now we’re seeing game after game from that region breaking through and capturing attention." China, in particular, appears to have reached a tipping point in terms of the quality and ambition of its output. Jorjani noted that while the Chinese market remains heavily mobile‑centric—shaping design sensibilities toward quick, bite‑sized experiences—its developers are accelerating their production pipelines, a process further amplified by artificial intelligence. "The quality is definitely improving," he observed.
"There’s still a way to go, but the sensibilities are evolving. AI is speeding everything up, so we’re seeing more games released at a faster pace worldwide." Artificial intelligence, Jorjani argued, is perhaps the most unpredictable variable on the horizon.
Unlike previous hype cycles such as virtual reality, AI is already reshaping development workflows, asset creation, and even design iteration. However, its adoption differs sharply between East and West. In Western markets, conversations often revolve around ethics, data ownership, and artistic integrity. In contrast, many Eastern studios appear to embrace AI pragmatically, focusing on functional outcomes rather than philosophical concerns.
"In the West we’re debating whether AI is ethical, whether companies should be allowed to train on certain data, and whether we should resist it on ideological grounds," he explained. "In the East, there’s little hesitation—if it helps you write functional code or generate assets, they adopt it without moral qualms." Jorjani admitted that this cultural divide creates an "existential crisis" for Western developers who view games as artistic expressions as well as software products. While the West may be slower to integrate AI, he believes the technology will inevitably become a standard part of the toolkit. Beyond AI, another challenge remains the sheer length of development cycles for AAA titles.
Large‑scale projects often span five to six years and require coordination across multiple studios and time zones. This reality pushes publishers to lean on established franchises and recognizable brands, reducing the appetite for risky new IPs. "Development cycles are still long," Jorjani said. "When you know the market is shifting, you need to be absolutely sure the bet you’re making will pay off.
Brand recognition is the safest hedge. Players know what they’re getting with a familiar name, which mitigates risk." He illustrated this point with the phenomenon of "analysis paralysis" that arises when consumers are bombarded with an ever‑growing catalog of releases. A classic series like Worms, for example, offers a clear expectation, whereas a brand‑new title must earn trust from scratch.
Data from Steam Replay 2025 shows that roughly 44 % of playtime comes from games that are between one and seven years old, indicating that players often gravitate toward titles with an established track record rather than untested newcomers. Nevertheless, Jorjani highlighted that indie developers possess a strategic advantage in this environment. Because smaller teams can iterate quickly and obtain early feedback, they can validate concepts long before a full production run begins. He cited the success of Tiny Glade, an indie title that gained momentum after the studio released early GIFs that resonated with the community.
"The secret sauce for any successful game is early validation," he asserted. "The sooner you put something in front of players and receive positive signals, the more confidently you can iterate. Indie studios excel at this because their cycles are short and they share progress openly." Arrowhead itself is adopting this philosophy for its upcoming project.
The studio plans to involve a select group of dedicated Helldivers fans early in development, gathering data on their preferences for themes such as aliens and other sci‑fi elements. By comparing responses from this focused cohort against a broader control group, Arrowhead hopes to fine‑tune its design direction before committing to a full‑scale build. "We’ll hand the prototype to about a hundred Helldivers players and ask them about their favorite IPs and game types," Jorjani explained. "If they love aliens and enjoy Helldivers, we know we’re on the right track.
This early insight lets us adjust before we spend years on a product that might miss the mark." He concluded by urging the industry to abandon the old habit of keeping projects under wraps for years and then launching with a massive marketing splash. Instead, he advocates a more transparent, iterative approach that leverages community feedback from day one.
"It requires letting go of the old playbook of keeping cards close to the chest for years, then dazzling everyone at launch," Jorjani said. "The future belongs to those who can adapt quickly, validate early, and embrace new technologies without being paralyzed by ethical debates. That’s where the real opportunity lies for both indie creators and larger studios willing to evolve."