The Crisis Behind the Games

The people who build
the games you love
are in crisis.

You may not know their names, but you know their work. The worlds they built. The characters they wrote. The music that stayed with you. Right now, tens of thousands of them have lost their jobs, and the industry shows no sign of slowing down.

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0+
jobs lost in gaming since 2022
Amir Satvat / layoff tracker, 2026
0%
of US game workers laid off in the last 2 years
GDC State of the Industry 2026
~0%
of laid-off workers still unable to find new work
GDC survey respondents, 2026
0+
game studios permanently closed or dissolved since 2022
Wikipedia / vg-layoffs tracker, 2026

Latest News

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Recent layoffs and closures across tech and gaming

The Studio Behind Last Year’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Remasters Hit With More Mass Layoffs As It Tries To Adapt To The Video Game Industry’s New Normal

Iron Galaxy is cutting employees to 'evolve' with the changing game industry

KotakuApr 17, 2026

Epic’s Head Of HR Is Out Less Than A Month After 1,000+ Layoffs

Monika Fahlbusch joined the Fortnite maker five years ago

KotakuApr 16, 2026

Ubisoft Settles With Developers Who Were Laid Off After Unionizing

The Assassin's Creed maker is currently making cuts across the company

KotakuApr 16, 2026

Ubisoft Halifax union members agree settlement after studio closure

'We are extremely grateful to our union for negotiating this package for us.'

Game DeveloperApr 16, 2026

The Strait of Hormuz blockade is causing a slow-moving food crisis

Farmers are very busy in the spring, under pressure to get crops into the ground just as the Northern Hemisphere begins to thaw. But this year has been different for many, thanks i

The VergeApr 13, 2026

Why This Exists

Since 2022, over 47,000 jobs have been eliminated across the gaming industry. In 2024, the worst year on record, more workers were laid off than in 2022 and 2023 combined.

According to the GDC State of the Industry 2026 survey, 1 in 3 US game workers has been laid off in the past two years. Nearly half of those are still unable to find new work.

These are artists, engineers, writers, and designers. Many of them are racing against time, trying to find income while keeping their families fed, housed, and hopeful. Some are not making it.

In Their Words

“

When I was laid off, it included about 15 people in a 50-person office. I soon realized this was a growing systemic problem for the whole industry.

Anonymous developer

“

Within each statistic are scores of intimate miniature apocalypses: someone's livelihood, maybe their dream job or first break in this competitive industry, dashed against the wall.

Game Developer Magazine

“

These mass layoffs affect real people and real families and throw their lives into disarray.

ZeniMax worker, via Game Developer

“

Almost half of laid-off respondents say they've been unable to find new work.

GDC State of the Industry Survey, 2026

“

On a pirate ship, they'd toss the captain overboard.

Michael Douse, publishing director at Larian Studios, via PC Gamer

“

The floor just keeps falling out. That cycle continuing for as long as it has is the most damaging thing.

Former Relic Entertainment developer, via IGN

“

74% of surveyed students say they are concerned about their future job prospects in the game industry.

GDC State of the Industry Survey, 2026

Know This Industry

🤝
Smaller than you think
The gaming industry is more interconnected than it appears from the outside. Reputation matters here; these professionals carry strong references, deep collaboration skills, and a track record of shipping under pressure.
🧰
Skills that travel
Gaming professionals bring skills that translate to virtually any industry: project management under tight deadlines, cross-disciplinary teamwork, and complex problem-solving are standard here. If your organization values people who ship, these are your people.
📊
Rising costs, frozen prices
AAA development budgets have grown from roughly $15 million in the mid-2000s to over $200 million today. Yet the retail price of a new game held at $60 for 15 years, only recently rising to $70. That gap is not sustainable, and the workers are the ones absorbing the cost.
🎓
An untapped talent pool
Over 250 US colleges now offer game development programs, graduating thousands of hopeful professionals each year. Many of them spent years preparing for an industry that may no longer have room for them. That is a difficult reality to face after investing so much in a dream.

How It Works

01
Recipients add items to their Vitals List
Verified gaming industry workers, referred by community members, add specific essential items to their Vitals List.
02
Donors browse and choose
Anyone can browse active Vitals Lists. No account required. See what someone is looking for and why, then choose to help.
03
Item ships directly to them
You pay for the item plus a small 5% fee that keeps ManaWell running. It ships straight to the recipient; no cash pool, no ambiguity.

You can do something real about this.

No donation disappearing into a fund. No bureaucracy. Just a person who could use something specific, and you choosing to send it. A 5% fee covers operational costs so ManaWell can keep running.

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Stay updated on the latest developments. Potential donors and supporters welcome.

Sources

Wikipedia: 2022-2025 LayoffsGDC Survey 2026 (Variety)PC Gamer / GDC SurveyGame Developer MagazineAmir Satvat / LinkedIn

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