Jessica Clement
Senior research expert covering video games
AI use in video game development - statistics & facts
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, especially generative AI applications, have already had a significant impact on creative industries, and the gaming industry is no exception. While some stakeholders herald AI tools as solutions that could help game developers accelerate production and lower costs, other parties have been voicing concerns about AI replacing human professionals in gaming productions. As AI tools continue to make inroads in video game development, how are they used? And who, ultimately, will profit most?
However, when looking at content creation specifically, smaller studios led the adoption of generative AI tools for this purpose. Specifically, 37 percent of survey respondents from studios with 50 or fewer employees used Gen AI tools for tasks like concept art and storyboarding. In contrast, only 8 percent of respondents from larger studios with more than 50 employees reported using generative AI for the same purposes.
Additionally, throwing money at game development does not guarantee a hit. After spending around 200 million U.S. dollars on first-person hero shooter Concord, Sony shut down the online multiplayer title two weeks after its extremely underperforming launch.
Games need to sell more copies than ever to break even, putting serious pressure on gaming studios. At this point, AI tools are adding fuel to the fire in the battle of cost reductions, worker rights, and the value of human creativity. For game dev workers to trust, embrace, and fully harness these tools, it is up to companies to set and adhere to ethical usage guidelines for AI applications in all areas of game development – a tall order for an industry that historically has not been overly generous to its workers.
The current gaming industry landscape
AI in gaming is here to stay. A 2024 survey of gaming industry professionals found that over one in ten respondents felt that AI opportunities and challenges were going to be the biggest gaming industry trend for the next year. However, when looking at the factors survey respondents felt were most important to fuel industry expansion, respondents prioritized end-to-end tech stacks, as well as better tools and learning over AI tools, which were ranked last.AI tool adoption in game development
During an early 2025 survey, over a third of responding game developers worldwide indicated that their studios or departments were already using generative AI tools, and about half of developers stated that generative AI tools were currently being used in their workplace. The most common areas of application for AI tools in game dev were writing or improving code, in-game text and voice chat moderation, improving character animations, and play testing. Third-party gaming service vendors have also been using AI tools for translations and player support.However, when looking at content creation specifically, smaller studios led the adoption of generative AI tools for this purpose. Specifically, 37 percent of survey respondents from studios with 50 or fewer employees used Gen AI tools for tasks like concept art and storyboarding. In contrast, only 8 percent of respondents from larger studios with more than 50 employees reported using generative AI for the same purposes.
Cost of game development and current industry struggles
AAA games are more expensive and take longer to make than ever. There are many factors that contribute to this – increasingly photorealistic graphics are frequently cited as the top reason, and the creation of massive open worlds and broader, non-gaming-specific issues such as resource misallocation and poor management are also common pain points. Labor expenses are another big cost factor – many game studios are in high cost of living (HCOL) areas, and employees need to be compensated adequately. The longer a game production takes, the more expensive it gets. Iteration is a natural part of the game production process, but industry veterans have also been quoted on frustration over wasted efforts due to mismanagement and directional pivots in game scope, such as changing a game from single player to live service.Additionally, throwing money at game development does not guarantee a hit. After spending around 200 million U.S. dollars on first-person hero shooter Concord, Sony shut down the online multiplayer title two weeks after its extremely underperforming launch.
AI support as a way out of crisis?
In the instance of indie and small developers, AI tools are seemingly fulfilling their much-touted potential – helping smaller organizations with lower workforce capacities to pitch and prototype faster and enable them to build their products. However, while gaming companies are seen to benefit from generative AI tools, gamers are already aware that individual creative professionals such as artists, writers, and voice actors are most likely to be negatively impacted by the widespread use of gen AI in their industries.Games need to sell more copies than ever to break even, putting serious pressure on gaming studios. At this point, AI tools are adding fuel to the fire in the battle of cost reductions, worker rights, and the value of human creativity. For game dev workers to trust, embrace, and fully harness these tools, it is up to companies to set and adhere to ethical usage guidelines for AI applications in all areas of game development – a tall order for an industry that historically has not been overly generous to its workers.
Jessica Clement
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Apr 25, 2025
Jessica Clement
Senior research expert covering video games
