While 2023 was a stellar year in the eyes of game enthusiasts with the release of much loved titles such as the latest installment of the Legend of Zelda and Baldur’s Gate 3, this year has so far seen game companies generate headlines for an altogether different reason — mass layoffs.
From Microsoft to Sony Interactive Entertainment, industry giants have shed hundreds of employees, with games canceled as a result.
But in Japan, something of a parallel universe exists: The country has proven curiously resistant to layoffs, with local gaming studios actually embarking on a hiring push and raising salaries to entice talent.