There are more than 150 higher-ed institutions offering video game studies in the United States. But here’s a terrifying thought: what if there are no jobs for those grads?

Amir Satvat, the game job champion who keeps track of game jobs across the world in his spared time (at this site), worried about that in a LinkedIn post. This worry is bothersome in part because it’s coming from someone who has helped 5,000 people find jobs in gaming.

“Three years ago, I warned that games roles were drifting from North America and Western Europe. I shared numbers, regional breakdowns, and what those shifts would mean,” he wrote. “Some believed me. Many did not. I believe the evidence is now conclusive.”

Another crisis now needs more, if not new, attention: early careers in games, he said. (Satvat will speak in a fireside chat at our upcoming GamesBeat Next 2026 event on November 2-3 in San Francisco).

“In my tracking, there have typically been 1,500–2,000 open games roles worldwide for people with zero to one years of experience. But the North American and European share keeps shrinking,” Satvat said.

Approximate openings today:
• North America: 300–350
• Europe: 300–350
• Asia: 900–1,000

“My estimated annual placement odds for early-career candidates have slipped from 5% to 4%. For North American candidates seeking only North American roles, I believe the odds may be closer to 2%,” Satvat said. “These are population-level estimates, not anyone’s individual destiny.”

5 more years of experience than they did three to four years ago.

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