Despite ranking among the world’s most profitable entertainment sectors, the gaming industry is currently grappling with severe turbulence. The heaviest toll, however, is falling on developers themselves, many of whom are losing their livelihoods with little warning. As the outlook grows increasingly uncertain, a high-profile designer behind Cyberpunk 2077 has openly voiced his apprehension about what lies ahead.

The individual in question is Paweł Sasko, a designer at CD Projekt RED. In a recent social media post, Sasko expressed deep regret over the sweeping layoffs that have already cost hundreds of workers their jobs in 2026 alone. He also extended solidarity and support to those affected by the ongoing crisis, underscoring the human cost behind the industry’s current upheaval.

CD Projekt RED Laments Industry-Wide Layoffs

CD Projekt RED is no stranger to such hardships. In mid-July 2023, the Polish studio, renowned for blockbuster titles like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, laid off roughly 100 employees, representing about 9% of its total workforce. At the time, CEO Adam Kiciński framed the decision as a necessary step in an organizational restructuring, stating candidly, “There is no easy way to say this, but today we are overstaffed.”

Today, CD Projekt RED appears to be on firmer ground, with active development underway on The Witcher 4, a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and a new intellectual property codenamed Hadar. Elsewhere in the industry, studios continue to shutter and thousands of positions are being eliminated.

Taking to social media once again, Sasko offered a sobering assessment of the current climate. “Some days I feel our industry is imploding -- teams and game projects are getting slaughtered every second day, to the point it’s hard to keep up,” he wrote.

While acknowledging his own concern and sadness for the future, Sasko also struck a hopeful note, emphasizing that CD Projekt RED considers itself fortunate to still be in a position to hire new talent.

To that end, the studio is actively recruiting across Poland, Canada, and the United States, with openings for animators, writers, gameplay designers, VFX artists, and more. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to contribute to The Witcher 4, Cyberpunk 2, and other forthcoming projects.

Crisis industria videojuegos

Gaming Industry Affected by Layoffs and Studio Closures

The broader gaming sector, meanwhile, continues to show signs of distress. Over the past several years, a troubling pattern has emerged, with major video game and technology companies instituting mass layoffs at an alarming frequency.

The first half of 2026 alone has already witnessed significant reductions. Electronic Arts, for instance, cut a substantial number of developers despite Battlefield 6 having ranked as the best-selling title of 2025 in the United States and having shipped millions of copies upon release.

Similarly, Xbox Game Studios is undergoing a large-scale reorganization, with internal reports suggesting that further workforce reductions are imminent across multiple teams. Additional sources indicate that first-party studios such as Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, and Double Fine are now at a crossroads, with some exploring the possibility of regaining independence.

More recently, Bungie, the studio behind the Destiny franchise and the underperforming Marathon project, also fell victim to the downturn, with both properties resulting in staff cuts. And the roster of affected companies continues to grow, as more studios are forced to downsize and cancel projects in response to mounting financial pressures.

What do you think? What is your perspective on this challenging moment for the gaming industry? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.