Amid restructurings, a tense social climate, and new EU rules, the video game industry has reached an inflection point. To attract and retain talents, studios must trade intentions for proof: sustainable workloads, credible inclusion, and accountable AI governance.
A job market under strain, reputation at stake
After COVID-19, the sector has cycled through restructurings and tighter budgets. Early 2025 marked an inflection point with the first large-scale strikes in a historically lightly unionized industry. Reputation weighs heavily: the legacy of “crunch” periods, pushbacks to office-first policies, and high-profile cases of harassment. With women still only about 22% of the workforce, underrepresentation continues to hamper attraction and retention. In response, unions are gaining influence, while some studios are testing real changes to working conditions and more inclusion. Labels and voluntary initiatives (diversity, accessibility, impact) can turn baseline compliance into a differentiator.
AI and Employee’s creations
In the video game industry, the use of AI in developing fast. Employers should secure such use of AI tools by their employees to ensure overall compliance with third party rights, assignment of IP rights and protection of copyrights. In practice, this means that reviewing terms of existing employment contracts and roll-out proper AI internal policies.
Regulation: perceived constraint, real lever
By 2030, the AI Act and the Digital Services Act will reshape roles. The issue goes beyond compliance; it rewrites the profiles in demand. “Hybrid” talent is emerging at the intersection of law, ethics, and engineering: AI compliance leads, DPOs, trust-and-safety heads, cybersecurity experts, experts for moderation and player well-being. Studios are likely to retain a safety-by-design approach. When legal compliance comes early, compliance smooths delivery rather than slowing it. Clear ethical guardrails also reassure candidates about cultural maturity.
Skills under pressure and global competition
The pace of change makes classic upskilling insufficient without focused academies and mentoring embedded in delivery teams. To stay competitive, three levers stand out: redesign roles, use transparent pay and craft a distinctive employer promise around high ethical standards and sustainable flexibility.
Turning rules into a talent magnet
Pitting regulation against innovation is a false debate. The DSA and AI Act become assets when linked to player experience and product quality. Employers who show how
compliance strengthens safety, accessibility, and community trust speak to candidates seeking purpose. Internally, hybrid career paths—engineers rotating through trust and safety, lawyers embedded with product—secure governance in operations.
Change the story: from “crunch” to “craft, care, responsibility”
The sector can turn its constraints into an opportunity. By proving sustainable work design, tangible inclusion, and AI governance that is both ambitious and workable, studios improve their reputation, widen the talent pool, and stabilize creative quality. The finish line is clear: an industry that owns its social and technological responsibilities—and, in doing so, becomes a natural choice for top talent.
