2023-2024 has suffered over 20,000 layoffs in the game industry, which is the highest number on record as of this recording. Impacted employees have had their finances devastated, their families uprooting their homes to new locations for nothing, and are struggling in a market absolutely saturated with talent, who are also looking for a new job. I explore how the industry got here, but more importantly, I offer helpful suggestions on how studios can do better with layoffs in the future.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro 00:11 – Greetings! 01:00 – 20,000+ layoffs between 2023-2024 03:00 – What doesn’t kill you gives you XP 05:00 – Head games 07:28 – Major acquisitions 15:00 – Higher interest rates 16:25 – A.I. 19:40 – Corporate greed 23:00 – Bobby Kotick’s base salary could have saved 1,000+ jobs 27:27 – Host a job fair on campus 30:00 – Leadership needs to be present for layoff meetings 32:20 – Provide layoff notice 3-6 months in advance 36:18 – Fill available roles within the studio instead of layoffs 39:07 – Good leaders take $1/year salary 40:41 – Layoffs equal no bonuses for leadership for that year 42:00 – Avoid expensive office spaces 45:25 – Riot Games severance package is stellar 48:40 – Let impacted employees keep their RSU stock 51:00 – Final thoughts
