One might think that the video game industry has never been in better shape, considering that there are 3.1 billion players worldwide and 38.8 million in France in 2024, according to the SELL. Unfortunately, the public's interest in the creations of studios located around the world has not prevented these same companies from facing massive layoffs in recent years.
A particularly distressing precariousness for industry professionals. Prominent figures in the field do not hesitate to banging their fists on the table to demand more respect from decision-makers and pointing out the real causes of the industry's current turmoil. Johan Pilestedt, creative director of Helldivers 2 at Arrowhead Studios, doesn't mince words when approaching the subject.
Johan Pilestedt believes video game studios aren't taking enough risks
Johan Pilestedt spoke at length about the massive layoffs in the video game industry during GDC 2025. According to him, the industry is paying for its conformity. "We will always go through cycles of death and rebirth, but today that cycle is unnecessarily brutal because we are not diversifying enough. We need to produce more types of games because people are playing more than ever, and we still can't stay in business. It's ridiculous. If everyone stopped making battle royales and made [different] games, we wouldn't be in this situation," protests the Arrowhead Studios strongman.
Johan Pilestedt particularly targets battle royales, but a similar observation can be made regarding multiplayer FPS and TPS, for example. Unfortunately, creating a video game with a concept inspired by recent hits is no guarantee of critical or commercial success. The fate of Concord, which sounded the death knell for Firewalk Studios, or of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League proves it.
"Our business is to take risks, and if you don't take risks, you can never achieve success. Few people believed that Helldivers would be a success, and yet here we are [...]. Too many games were trying to please too many people or to do something too similar to what had been done before,” adds Johan Pilestedt.
It’s true that Helldivers 2 is a perfect example, like It Takes Two, Balatro or Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The creative director of Arrowhead Studios doesn’t guarantee that originality rhymes with success, but seems convinced that this is the path to follow to reverse the trend within the industry. Perhaps he even thinks that if you have to die, it’s better to do it with your ideas.
Unfortunately, it should also be noted that even studios that have delivered Unique productions can meet a tragic fate. Furthermore, a company known for its great games can also disappear, as evidenced by the closure of Monolith Productions by Warner Bros.
Remember that between 2022 and 2025, more than 20,000 people were laid off following layoffs at companies such as Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Embracer, and EA.
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