Recent surveys from GDC and Skillsearch found generative AI divisive in game development. The Gamescom Dev Speaker Survey echoes this, with 47% of developers citing AI-assisted development as the biggest industry impact over three years. However, 30% want minimal AI involvement in game development.

Code and Production saw the most AI value (34%), while art, animation, and narrative design saw least. Regarding team sizes, 33% expect AI to reduce team sizes, 36% believe it will change roles, 14% expect increased output per person, and 17% see no effect.

Other findings: economic uncertainty is the biggest challenge (54 responses), market saturation (38), discoverability (35). Premium digital/physical games (29%) will dominate monetization, followed by live service (24%) and free-to-play with in-app purchases (21%). Leadership (27%) is the most sought-after skill, then technical programming (19%).