The 2026 State of the Game Industry survey report, conducted by the GDC Festival of Gaming, highlights a strong tilt toward unionization among United States game industry workers alongside growing unease over the role of generative Artificial Intelligence. According to the survey, 82% of workers surveyed supporting unionization, while 13% were unsure, and only 5% opposed the idea, indicating a clear preference for organized labor in the sector. Up-and-coming talent, specifically those aged 18-24, were overwhelmingly in support of unionization, with zero respondents opposing the idea, signaling that the next generation of developers is even more union-friendly.
The unionization findings arrive in a broader context of labor tension, as the report is released shortly after unions representing Ubisoft workers in France called for a massive three-day international strike after the studio’s ill-received cost-cutting measures and recent game cancellations. This backdrop underscores why workplace security, bargaining power, and job stability are front-of-mind for many developers. The survey portrays a workforce that is increasingly willing to pursue collective action, especially as high-profile studios grapple with restructuring, layoffs, and shifting business strategies.
On the topic of Generative Artificial Intelligence, game workers were somewhat divided, with adoption outpacing enthusiasm about its impact. The survey states that 36% of industry workers reported using generative Artificial Intelligence in their daily work, although it was far more common amongst those working at publishing companies (58%) than workers at development studios (30%). Despite moderate use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools across various disciplines and workloads, like research and brainstorming (81%), email and code assistance (47%), and prototyping (35%), most professionals in the gaming industry think that generative Artificial Intelligence is having a negative impact on the industry. The report notes that 64% of visual and technical artists, 63% of game and narrative designers, and 59% of programmers think share their negative outlooks on the impact of generative Artificial Intelligence on the industry, while only 7% of surveyed workers generative Artificial Intelligence is having a positive impact on gaming.
