Game studios freeze hiring as AI inverts programming and art pay
Summary
35% of game founders skipped a hire because AI could do the work, per the Values Value report of 1,800 respondents across 90 countries.
EU programming pay fell from €47,000 ($54,200) to €33,700 ($38,900) in two years.
EU art and design pay rose from €25,000 ($28,800) to €33,000 ($38,000) over the same period.
48% of founders say their company currently operates at a loss.
01
Small teams become a deliberate AI strategy
35% of founders skipped a hire because AI could handle the work instead.
60% now keep teams small by design, not budget constraint.
78% of workers say AI changed how they worked in 2026.
One match-3 studio plans to cut headcount from 3,000 to 500.
02
Programming and art salaries invert across the EU
EU programming pay dropped 28%, from €47,000 ($54,200) to €33,700 ($38,900).
EU art and design pay rose 32%, from €25,000 ($28,800) to €33,000 ($38,000).
EU game design pay fell from €34,500 ($39,800) to €26,000 ($30,000).
Programming and art median pay now sit under $1,100 apart.
03
Financial strain erodes worker trust
48% of founders say their company currently operates at a loss.
61% of workers report pressure to work faster and produce more.
53% are concerned AI is driving a decline in work quality.
European eNPS collapsed from 9.7 in 2024 to -9.8 in 2026.
04
New AI roles emerge as disruption stays uneven
Roles for AI strategy, ownership and management are appearing inside studios.
46% of workers say AI makes it harder to judge real skill levels.
35% fear job losses or reduced demand for their roles.
22% report no change to their work from AI at all.
What this means
For Publishers & Developers: Reallocate compensation budgets as programming loses its historic pay premium over art.
For Investors & VC: Flag the 48% loss rate and -9.8 eNPS as retention and burn-rate diligence items.
For UA & Marketing: Micro-team studios now ship with far leaner headcount, reshaping partner selection.
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