Wright says “Studios now have an opportunity to design workplaces, groups and management fashions which are more healthy, extra various and extra future‑proof”
This 12 months, Kjaer hopes to see “extra mid-sized indies step up and take a lead in supporting newer studios, fuelling indie development from inside”
Kom believes smaller groups “which are disciplined, values-driven, and targeted on sustainable manufacturing” shall be rewarded in 2026
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With Pocket Gamer Connects London happening on January Nineteenth to Twentieth, we spoke with business specialists talking on the occasion in regards to the sector’s modifications, challenges, and alternatives in 2026 and why there’s purpose to be cautiously optimistic.
Working in several areas of the business, they share one widespread view: the video games business is maturing. Groups are getting smaller and extra collaborative, whereas sustainable development has turn into a precedence.
“The largest alternative in video games proper now’s the possibility to rebuild the business in a means that’s genuinely extra sustainable, inclusive and modern than what got here earlier than,” explains Hannah Wright, the founding father of expertise and HR consultancy Simply Wright.
“After a number of years of turbulence, the business is coming into a brand new part the place development is stabilising, new markets are rising, and know-how is unlocking prospects we merely didn’t have earlier than.”
Expertise empowering creativity
Wright argues that the accessibility of recent instruments – “significantly AI and subsequent‑technology engines” – gives one of many largest ongoing alternatives because it opens new pathways to creativity.
“To rebuild the business in a means that’s genuinely extra sustainable, inclusive and modern than what got here earlier than”Hannah Wright
“AI is already reworking improvement workflows, permitting groups to prototype quicker, iterate extra effectively and focus extra on inventive route. When used effectively, it may well assist smaller groups punch far above their weight.”
She says one other alternative is globalisation and a shift in geography, with youthful markets throughout APAC and MENA significantly “decreasing stress on oversaturated Western hubs”.
“The true alternative, nevertheless, is centred on folks. Studios now have an opportunity to design workplaces, groups and management fashions which are more healthy, extra various and extra future‑proof”, says Wright, highlighting areas similar to “smarter workforce planning, higher wellbeing assist, extra intentional hiring, and cultures constructed on belief slightly than crunch”.
“2026 might be the 12 months we don’t simply get better, we redefine what nice work and nice workplaces appear to be in video games.”
Indie-centred funding fashions
As the pinnacle of product and companions at Danish indie studio Funday Video games, Emil Kjaehr is hoping 2026 shall be a 12 months of optimistic change on the subject of funding. With VC funding persevering with to rise, Kjaer want to see “extra mid-sized indies step up and take a lead in supporting newer studios, fuelling indie development from inside”.
“Good, small and nimble builders that assist different studios get a great begin, with cheap phrases.”Emil Kjaer
Certainly, he’s not the one one within the business calling for brand spanking new funding fashions as a substitute for unsustainable writer offers and investor stress.
As an alternative, he requires “sensible, small and nimble builders that assist different studios get a great begin, with cheap phrases”.
By his optimistic lens, he additionally says he expects to see fewer studio closures in 2026 – “and that smaller studios with smaller titles proceed to develop and achieve success on platforms like Steam and consoles”.
Platform energy
In the identical spirit, Kjaer identifies a selected alternative in platforms like itch.io, a community-focused indie recreation portal.
“I feel that platforms like itch.io will continue to grow, and that builders which are accustomed to recreation jam tradition have an ideal benefit within the present market. Influencers and content material creators monitor itch for content material; if used proper, itch can act as a implausible testing floor for early concepts and ideas.”
The funding local weather is one thing Wright additionally pinpoints as a serious problem.
“Improvement is changing into extra complicated and costly, with monetary sustainability rising as one of many largest stress factors for each triple-A and indie studios.
“Rising manufacturing prices, the problem of live-service expectations, and participant fatigue round monetisation all contribute to a troublesome working improvement.”
“The largest problem is discovering a sustainable steadiness between creativity, monetary stability and the wellbeing of the individuals who truly construct the video games.”Hannah Wright
Including to the complexity, she says AI and shifting international markets might be seen as “unbelievable alternatives” whereas on the similar time current “important moral and inventive questions”.
Making an attempt to summarise it, she says: “Wanting forward, I feel the most important problem is discovering a sustainable steadiness between creativity, monetary stability and the wellbeing of the individuals who truly construct the video games.”
Ethics and sustainability
Sustainable and moral recreation manufacturing are parts Merely Candy Video games co-founder and CPO Carina Kom additionally hopes to see extra of in 2026.
“I’d like to see a shift away from growth-at-all-costs pondering towards sustainable studios: honest groups, practical scopes, moral monetisation, and clearer accountability.”
Kom says extra indie studios ought to emerge because of the business rediscovering these fundamentals.
“I consider 2026 will reward studios which are disciplined, values-driven, and targeted on sustainable manufacturing.”
“I’d like to see a shift away from growth-at-all-costs pondering towards sustainable studios.”Carina Kom
For a lot of business professionals in 2026, funding appears to be an inevitable subject. Kom says it’s one in every of two principal challenges at present dealing with builders. The opposite one being what she calls “ethics dilution from AI-generated slop”.
“Capital is tougher to safe until you’re extraordinarily clear on viewers, differentiation, and the trail to income. On the similar time, discoverability is getting noisier, making belief, craft, and authenticity extra invaluable.”
As ever, it’s in hurdles like these the business may also uncover its largest alternatives. Underserved gamers is one in every of them, explains Kom.
“There’s an enormous alternative in premium-casual, phrase, narrative, and wellness-adjacent experiences – particularly for gamers who need depth with out toxicity or manipulation.”
She provides: “Studios that construct belief and long-term relationships with gamers will outperform these chasing short-term metrics.”
For a shifting business discovering its toes after years of stress, that needs to be a recipe not only for 2026, however past.
Be taught from audio system together with Wright, Kjaer and Kom at PG Connects London, January Nineteenth-Twentieth. Register at present.
