In 2025, European studios increased spending on external roles by 63%, outpacing the global growth rate of 55%.
That’s according to the ‘Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry’ report by Values Value founder and InGame Job co-founder Tanja Loktionova.
The number of freelancers collaborating with European studios grew by 24% last year, while average freelancer income increased by 19% globally.
Nearly 60% of studios reported difficulty sourcing qualified specialists, while 54.1% of freelancers struggled to find appropriate projects.
Although average freelancer monthly income rose 19% globally, nearly 63% of freelancers remain concerned about income stability.
In the current labor market, 30% of respondents experienced layoffs in the past year, and it typically takes six months to secure a new position.
Half of respondents expect to change jobs within the next six months, and fewer than half are satisfied with their current roles.
Only 26% of respondents felt they were growing professionally, 36% reported stagnation, and 55% did not receive any training in the past year.
Loktionova described this data as “a structural signal that the industry has matured past its growth-at-any-cost phase and has not yet figured out what replaces it.”
Data suggests “studios are converging on a two-tier team model” with a “small core of directors, lead architects, and the people who protect a franchise’s creative throughline” who receive “equity, health coverage, and bonuses.”
“Everyone else increasingly sits in the periphery: contractors and freelancers hired for a specific sprint or development phase, then let go the moment it ends,” said Loktionova.
The ‘Talent Signals Reshaping the Games Industry’ report also found that 61% of European developers are concerned that generative AI will place them under pressure to work faster and produce more.
However, 35% believe that AI might cause them to lose their job or reduce demand for their role.