Industry Under Fire: 2025 Layoffs & The 2026 Slate [Nerfed.ai]
This episode of Nerfed.ai confronts the sobering reality of the gaming industry following a massive report from Variety revealing that one-third of all video game workers were laid off in 2025. Vanessa Calderon and Marcus Shaw discuss the systemic failures leading to these record-breaking job losses and what this means for the future of AAA game development. Despite the grim news, the duo pivots to the 2026 release schedule, looking at highly anticipated titles like the next installment in the Witcher universe and indie breakouts that are keeping the medium alive. The conversation balances subtle sarcasm toward corporate mismanagement with an enthusiastic look at the technical innovations pushing through the noise. Key topics include the Variety layoff report, GameSpot's 2026 release calendar, and the shifting dynamics of studio sustainability in a post-growth-obsessed era. The hosts explore whether the upcoming slate of games can truly mend a broken industry.
The gaming industry is at a crossroads as new data reveals a staggering one-third of the global workforce was impacted by layoffs throughout 2025. In this episode of Nerfed.ai, Vanessa Calderon and Marcus Shaw break down the Variety report that has sent shockwaves through the community. We analyze the fallout of corporate consolidation and look ahead to the 2026 release schedule to see which games are actually going to make it into our hands. From studio drama to the tech keeping development afloat, we tackle the reality of being a gamer today.
Topics Covered
- 📉 The 2025 Bloodbath: Analyzing the Variety report detailing how one-third of the industry's workforce was cut.
- 🎮 2026 Release Radar: A look at the most anticipated titles surviving the development crunch according to GameSpot.
- 💥 The Sustainability Myth: Marcus breaks down why the current AAA development model is hitting a breaking point.
- 🕵️ Studio Drama: Vanessa’s take on the executive choices that led us to this 2026 bingo card.
![Industry Under Fire: 2025 Layoffs & The 2026 Slate [Nerfed.ai]](https://img.transistorcdn.com/JL_EmLkB-zPrxgM9Vj1FeLxAGMq16NHFwXEypXUfIos/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:800/h:800/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85ZTlj/YjhmODM4NWI3OTVl/ODljZWY3NzFjNjkw/MzQ3YS5wbmc.webp)