There have been widespread layoffs in the gaming industry for several years. According to Tencent's top manager Amir Satvat, who monitors the job market in game development, 2024 remains the most "bloody" year so far, but 2026 is not far behind.
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As calculated by Satvat, from January 1 to July 26, 2026, at least 9,781 gaming professionals lost their jobs—already more than in 2022 (8,500 people), 2023 (10,500 people), and 2025 (9,197 people). And there's still almost half a year left in 2026.
It is expected that layoffs throughout 2026 will affect 14,259 people.
Interestingly, Satvat initially predicted far fewer layoffs for 2026. In January, he estimated that by the end of the year, gaming companies would part ways with about 8,000 employees, but the reality turned out to be harsher.
If the forecast is accurate, the total number of laid-off gaming professionals over the years 2022-2026 will reach 58,087. Of those, 53,609 have already faced layoffs.