New data suggests layoffs will affect 14,259 people by the end of 2026, up 78% from first forecast of the year

New data from the ASGC Games Industry Layoffs Tracker predicts job losses will reach 14,259 by the end of 2026, representing a 78% increase over an initial forecast for the year.

In January, ASGC projected 8,025 layoffs would take place in 2026. This figure has already risen to 9,781 as of an update on July 26.

“The pace of layoffs is accelerating faster than our models initially predicted,” said business development director at Tencent Games Amir Satvat, who maintains the tracker.

A previous forecast on July 10 projected 13,878 layoffs. This marks an increase of 381 redundancies in just over two weeks, including 32 at ZA/UM, 20 at 11 Bit Studios, 51 at Ubisoft Barcelona, and 22 at Red Rover Interactive, among others.

The July 10 update followed the first major round of Xbox layoffs, which affected 1,600 employees across Obsidian, Bethesda, Id Software, and Zenimax Online Studios.

North America accounts for 66% of layoffs and 79% of affected workers, with the United States at 48% and Canada at 17%. Europe accounts for 30%.

Combined, North America and Europe represent 95% of all layoffs.

This year is projected to exceed 2024’s estimated total of 15,631 layoffs, following a decline to 9,197 last year. Total projected layoffs over five years are expected to approach 60,000.

“The timing of Microsoft’s remaining 1,600 cuts is unclear, and some could fall in the back half of FY27, during calendar 2027,” Satvat added.

“I currently assume all will occur in 2026 and will revise the estimate as better information becomes available.”