To say that it’s been a rough few years for workers in the games industry would be a massive understatement. Companies have laid off so many workers that it’s become genuinely difficult to count them all, and far fewer companies seem to be hiring.
However, we’re starting to see a turnaround, as there has been some job growth, according to Amir Satvat. And in a panel at GamesBeat Summit 2026, Satvat and the rest of the panelists discussed what the future looks like for talent in the industry.
“I think the model of how games are put together and how teams are sized up and funded is really different,” said Satvat, games job guru and head of business development at Tencent, to moderator Andrea Rene. “The models are changing, but I don’t think we should so easily give up on trying… many are trying to think of innovative models of how, between a combination of different locations or remote staffing we can trying to make things work in places that aren’t so high-cost.”
What does the future look like?
Ninel Anderson, CEO and founder of Devoted Studios, talked about the challenges of trying to find cost-effecting and time-efficient solutions to staffing problems, noting in particular the time zone differences that can be caused by outsourcing. “It’s not really about how you can find the most affordable talent, but how you can invest the money into a resource that can deliver you the biggest amount of output… How can you tap into those little industries that allow talent to grow to the expert level at the best possible cost?”
The panel also spoke at length about the job market and the future of employment. Rene asked Jen MacLean, CEO of Dragon Snacks Games, how she incorporated her experience in various parts of the industry in her company. MacLean responded that she’d recently heard that North American talent was considered overpriced. “Being able to lean on the strengths — for example, offering remote work — that can be a superpower. We’re lucky that all of the leaders in our company have led remote teams. So we’re super comfortable with it, but that’s something that Take-Two can’t necessarily offer.”
Anderson noted that remote work isn’t for everyone, but added that its something that studios can make work: “I started Devoted in 2018 was an idea of being able to staff your project based on the most passionate and skilled people, no matter where there are in the world, and allow talent to work from home in their PJs. People thought it was crazy and a logistical nightmare, and it is, but a logistical nightmare that I am excited about. Some other people won’t be, because they have other problems that they want to solve for.”
Game developers and talent were the subject of multiple talks at GamesBeat Summit 2026, with several of the panelists discussing topics such as how to proceed with a small team, and the benefits of external game development.