Hooray: ****** gamedevs being fired thread

[J1M]

Good. Nobody that works in an office should be in a union.

Seriously funny to watch them try as they just get replaced with outsourcing and AI and have no leverage. It made sense in the factory / coal mine days because companies had to take care of their employees living in a ******, smokey factory town because there was no one else who would move there without incentive or petitioning the government for immigrants.

"This is the most dangerous profession, we need a union" is more sympathetic than "I want days off for menstruation".

[Nico]

Square Enix announces mass layoffs as "restructuring" plan pulls development from "overseas"

"A decision was made to close overseas studios and shift toward consolidating development in Japan"

[...]According to IGN, this forms part of a push to consolidate its publishing business and focus on its own game development in Japan.
It's thought the company is currently notifying some staff working in the UK and the U.S. of pending redundancies, and while the exact number of those in scope in the U.S. is unknown, IGN reports 137 jobs are presently at risk in the UK.

"To strengthen development capabilities from a Group-wide perspective and to optimize resource allocation for maximizing the value generated by IPs, a further review of the development pipeline was conducted," Square Enix stated.
"As a result, a decision was made to close overseas development studios and shift toward consolidating development functions in Japan."

Could it be related to this ?

“No interference in creative works.” Japanese government proposes new policy for anime and game expansion in the West

The “Five key principles of the Entertainment and Creative Industries Policy” are listed as follows:

1. Large-scale, long-term strategic support
2. Support efforts to spread Japan-made content to the world
3. No interference in the content of creative works
4. Provide direct support
5. Prioritize those willing to take a challenge

In light of recent events – especially aggressive content restrictions and global pressure from payment processing firms – the third principle of the policy has been attracting attention in particular. As explained by METI, the government’s goal is to invest in IPs, human resources, and digital technologies, as well as support international distribution networks and overseas investments into building fandoms. Consequently, the third principle was suggested to reassure creators that their freedom of expression will be protected, and that “government backing” does not imply that the content of their works will be meddled with in any way.

[RangerBoo]

The dumb ***** responsible for the Body Type A/B in Dragon Quest has been fired. Square looks like they are cleaning house.

[J1M]

If it wasn't performative bullying she would have said "being a person of color & a type B body type in the industry..."

[Cassidy]

Most of those who get fired are the last beta **** low-T 9AM-5PM programmers who aren't D.I.E. hires, simply cowards, the same type like the generations past simps who allowed the 19th Amendment to be enacted in US, brown-nosers trying to keep their jobs, shutting up and doing what they are ordered to by their *****, femoid or ******** overlords. Anyone who isn't a woke, cuckold or simp has long given up working in such companies. For anyone who doesn't agree it would be a mental hellscape. Anyway, unfortunately the biggest culprits for this crap rarely get fired, only the small fishes, low ranking simp white ******* get booted, and only after the software house is completely bankrupt the biggest culprits may get the pink slip, maybe, or like locusts infest another not 100% pozzed company to do it all over again with the blessings of Larry Fink.

For real, I bet that for anyone who isn't a brainwashed woke ****, working in vidya now in those ESG/DIE/BRIDGE infested corpos must be more demoralizing than being a janitor cleaning blacked dot com studios after the videos were recorded. No ****.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Ubisoft is requesting to postpone their quarterly earnings report. Sounds like the gas might have ran out in the tank.

[WhiteShark]

Ubisoft is requesting to postpone their quarterly earnings report. Sounds like the gas might have ran out in the tank.

I don't know much about this topic, but I'm having trouble imagining a scenario where this would be permissible. "Our report would make us look really bad, so please let us not make the report until it looks better." Isn't the point of reporting to accurately show the current situation? Isn't requesting to postpone it a tacit admission that the situation is dire?

[Acrux]

They also have to stop trading stock. It's hard to think of something that could be so bad they would fall back to that extreme. The Escapist speculated a Tencent takeover.

[Havitner]

Ubisoft is requesting to postpone their quarterly earnings report. Sounds like the gas might have ran out in the tank.

I don't know much about this topic, but I'm having trouble imagining a scenario where this would be permissible. "Our report would make us look really bad, so please let us not make the report until it looks better." Isn't the point of reporting to accurately show the current situation? Isn't requesting to postpone it a tacit admission that the situation is dire?

That depends. Are they asking the govt or the shareholders? I can see why the latter, while personally interested, might be willing to allow them to cover up information that would cause a stock price drop.

[Nemesis]

Ubisoft is requesting to postpone their quarterly earnings report. Sounds like the gas might have ran out in the tank.

Layoffs incoming.

[Rand]

There's likely a regulated deal they were expecting to get done before and they can't legally disclose any details to their moron shareholders or the public.

[WhiteShark]

There's likely a regulated deal they were expecting to get done before and they can't legally disclose any details to their moron shareholders or the public.

Publicly traded companies are allowed to make secret deals about which they don't even tell their shareholders?

[Rand]

There's likely a regulated deal they were expecting to get done before and they can't legally disclose any details to their moron shareholders or the public.

Publicly traded companies are allowed to make secret deals about which they don't even tell their shareholders?

Depending on the deal, and whether there are rules in the deal or rules mandated by the controlling governments, yes.

Under the EU's Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), companies can keep early-stage talks confidential if they could significantly impact stock price if leaked.
A "quiet period" allows NDAs and limited internal knowledge. Secret talks are allowed to avoid derailing deals or tipping off competitors. Shareholders aren't looped in until it's material.
Once a deal is likely or agreed (e.g., letter of intent or LOI), it becomes "inside information" and must be disclosed "as soon as possible" via a public announcement.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Square Enix announces mass layoffs as "restructuring" plan pulls development from "overseas"

"A decision was made to close overseas studios and shift toward consolidating development in Japan"

[...]According to IGN, this forms part of a push to consolidate its publishing business and focus on its own game development in Japan.
It's thought the company is currently notifying some staff working in the UK and the U.S. of pending redundancies, and while the exact number of those in scope in the U.S. is unknown, IGN reports 137 jobs are presently at risk in the UK.

"To strengthen development capabilities from a Group-wide perspective and to optimize resource allocation for maximizing the value generated by IPs, a further review of the development pipeline was conducted," Square Enix stated.
"As a result, a decision was made to close overseas development studios and shift toward consolidating development functions in Japan."

Could it be related to this ?

“No interference in creative works.” Japanese government proposes new policy for anime and game expansion in the West

The “Five key principles of the Entertainment and Creative Industries Policy” are listed as follows:

1. Large-scale, long-term strategic support
2. Support efforts to spread Japan-made content to the world
3. No interference in the content of creative works
4. Provide direct support
5. Prioritize those willing to take a challenge

In light of recent events – especially aggressive content restrictions and global pressure from payment processing firms – the third principle of the policy has been attracting attention in particular. As explained by METI, the government’s goal is to invest in IPs, human resources, and digital technologies, as well as support international distribution networks and overseas investments into building fandoms. Consequently, the third principle was suggested to reassure creators that their freedom of expression will be protected, and that “government backing” does not imply that the content of their works will be meddled with in any way.

It is just now that many Japanese companies are now seeing how much of a bad idea that was given that companies like Square Enix are now cleaning house with the possibility of moving away from the West.

First, Square has been trending away from their Western studios. They bought Eidos which produced the new Deus Ex games, expressed dissatisfaction with their results, and then a couple years ago sold off Eidos. Square for the past decade has been pursuing odd business strategies like investing in NFTs, not getting a production process in order so that new flagship Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games can come out year after year in a timely manner, general confusion with Yoshida being asked a few months ago about the next Final Fantasy and he doesn't know who would direct it or if it would be action or turn based, etc. You have the president asking why Square wasn't the one to produce Genshin Impact and rake in $100 million USD per month while Square continues to fund half assed gacha games that no one wants and then shut them. Earlier this year they showed a roadmap for the next three years of their releases, and aside from FF7 part 3 they have pretty much zilch coming down the pipeline. Square appears to be run by headless chickens with no long term vision or capability to stick to one or ability to express their vision. Indecisiveness is apparently a trait common to Japanese companies. So I am skeptical if they are even competent or organized enough to be able to identify the problem. You'd think these billion dollar corporations would be able to access the wisdom of research companies and expert talent, but time after time again we are seeing and hearing first hand reports of top companies failing business 101 and common sense.

Second, Square still has Tracy Fullerton on their board of directors, and in light of recent information it is ambiguous as to whether or not the dangerhair Kate was removed as head of FF14's English localization and for what reasons. Yoshida has also made statements supporting the alphabets, and the timing of Yoshida's and then Square's statement that they would pursue action against people who criticize their workers may have been meant to protect Kate and Bryer. So it is too early to claim that there is a push at Square to oust the Western crazies.

I think for Square this is just them grasping at straws again, trying to staunch the bleeding by cutting their losses but still clueless as to how to actually build back up.

[rusty_shackleford]

You ever seen a studio lose so many employees its game rolls back into beta? I know It's a first for me.

Building the Splitgate you deserve

(...)

So we're going back to beta. We'll be heads down until early next year, rebuilding major parts of the game to capture the spirit of what made Splitgate special

(...)

Rebuilding the core experience isn't a quick fix; it's a long-term commitment. To give ourselves the time to build the Splitgate you deserve, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce certain roles and shift our resources to focus on this rework. This is heartbreaking. These are our teammates and our friends, and they helped build what we have today. They're receiving severance and job placement support, and we're committed to doing everything we can to help them through this transition. We hope to bring them back when we can.

In an effort to retain as many team members as possible, we're also going to be shutting down OG Splitgate servers in a month. While we'd love to keep servers online indefinitely, it's cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past couple of years, and we have to prioritize our team. Like us, we know this game means a lot to so many of you, so we are exploring the possibility of supporting offline or peer-to-peer matches. And when we return, we plan to have a dedicated experience in Splitgate 2 that delivers on the promise of the original.

(...)

They're overdosing on copium

[Breathe]

"Over the past six months we rebuilt Splitgate from the ground up because we believe in the game"

[Oyster Sauce]

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ubisoft-s ... s-affected

Ubisoft has announced the closure of Ubisoft Halifax, the Canadian studio which was working on mobile titles for Rainbow Six and Assassin's Creed, affecting 71 staff members.

Staff at the studio announced only this week that they had formed Ubisoft's first labour union in North America, completing a process that had started in June 2025.

Lmaoooo

[rusty_shackleford]

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ubisoft-s ... s-affected

Ubisoft has announced the closure of Ubisoft Halifax, the Canadian studio which was working on mobile titles for Rainbow Six and Assassin's Creed, affecting 71 staff members.

Staff at the studio announced only this week that they had formed Ubisoft's first labour union in North America, completing a process that had started in June 2025.

Lmaoooo

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ubisoft-h ... form-union

Ubisoft Halifax lead programmer Jon Huffman has described the decision as a "huge relief"

"In an era marked by industry-wide uncertainty, studio closures, layoffs, and increasing instability, we want to make clear our commitment to one another and to our craft," they said.

"We believe that creativity flourishes when workers feel secure, supported, and empowered. We are unionising not in opposition to Ubisoft, but in partnership, with the goal of ensuring our studio remains a beacon of equity, excellence, and innovation."

They continued: "Unionising gives us, the workers, a meaningful voice among decision-makers, a voice that will help shape the future of Ubisoft Halifax and the industry at large. Together, we will continue to build timeless experiences for players and forge a modern, compassionate, and resilient workplace for all who contribute to our craft."

[rusty_shackleford]

https://cwacanada.ca/2026/01/07/cwa-can ... d-workers/

In Canada, it is unlawful for a business to close because its workers decide to unionize.

…? Or what?
Why would a company willingly operate in a country like this?

[Roguey]

Looking at https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2025 looks like the correction has finished. Far fewer layoffs last year than in 2022-24.

[Acrux]

Looking at https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2025 looks like the correction has finished. Far fewer layoffs last year than in 2022-24.

There's a widely publicized msft layoff that's supposed to happen in a couple of weeks, including a huge hit to gaming studios because they missed projected revenues last year.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Looking at https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2025 looks like the correction has finished. Far fewer layoffs last year than in 2022-24.

The games industry is increasingly outsourcing work overseas. Ie Marvel Rivals being developed by a Chinese studio instead of a Western studio.

[maidenhaver]

[quotour commitment to one another and to our cash," they said."

[/quote]
Uh huh

[Tweed]

You ever seen a studio lose so many employees its game rolls back into beta? I know It's a first for me.

Building the Splitgate you deserve

(...)

So we're going back to beta. We'll be heads down until early next year, rebuilding major parts of the game to capture the spirit of what made Splitgate special

(...)

Rebuilding the core experience isn't a quick fix; it's a long-term commitment. To give ourselves the time to build the Splitgate you deserve, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce certain roles and shift our resources to focus on this rework. This is heartbreaking. These are our teammates and our friends, and they helped build what we have today. They're receiving severance and job placement support, and we're committed to doing everything we can to help them through this transition. We hope to bring them back when we can.

In an effort to retain as many team members as possible, we're also going to be shutting down OG Splitgate servers in a month. While we'd love to keep servers online indefinitely, it's cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past couple of years, and we have to prioritize our team. Like us, we know this game means a lot to so many of you, so we are exploring the possibility of supporting offline or peer-to-peer matches. And when we return, we plan to have a dedicated experience in Splitgate 2 that delivers on the promise of the original.

(...)

They're overdosing on copium

Fun is a buzzword.

[Norfleet]

Fun is a buzzword.

Fun is a filthy parasite.

[RangerBoo]

Good news everyone! Lying ***** who drove an innocent man to kill himself can't get work in the game's industry anymore. Press S to spit.

[UltraFan123]

Good news everyone! Lying ***** who drove an innocent man to kill himself can't get work in the game's industry anymore. Press S to spit.

I just noticed that the original post was made in July 2025. That Zoe ***** is so irrelevant these days that it took 6 months for anyone to notice that she was kicked out.

[Valter]

2026 State of the Game Industry Report Reveals Widening Effect of Layoffs, Broader Perspectives on Generative AI, Unionization, Tariffs and More

GDC Festival of Gaming’s 14th Annual Survey of More Than 2,300 Game Industry Professionals Provides New Data and Insights on Turbulent Times; Reveals Strong Unionization Support Among US-Based Respondents

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The organizers of GDC Festival of Gaming have released the results of the 2026 State of the Game Industry Survey, offering insights into key game industry trends based on responses from more than 2,300 game industry professionals. In line with GDC’s broader transformation into the GDC Festival of Gaming, this year’s State of the Game Industry Survey has also expanded to better serve the full game ecosystem.

To represent the thoughts and perspectives of the game industry across roles and disciplines, the GDC team consulted key stakeholders and community members to refine questions and broaden the survey’s reach. Surveys were customized for each participant group, ensuring that developers, marketers, executives, investors and others answered questions most relevant to them. The team also surveyed a smaller group of game educators and students to capture a snapshot of the challenges facing the next generation.

The report, which can be downloaded for free here, provides the latest data and analysis on layoffs, generative AI adoption and sentiment, unionization efforts, development platforms and priorities, business pressures, emerging trends and more. Key insights from the report are below.

While the State of the Game Industry Report and the contents presented at GDC Festival of Gaming are created independently, the trends and sentiments within the report are often addressed at GDC, which features an entire content track dedicated to Career development, sessions dedicated to emerging AI technologies and hundreds of talks that deal with the most dynamic challenges and opportunities in the industry. The GDC Festival of Gaming, a global gathering for the full game-making ecosystem, will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center and neighboring venues from March 9 – 13, 2026. For more details, please visit the official website. Regular updates are available on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Bluesky and the official Discord server. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account.

Layoffs Generate Wide Impact; Students Are Concerned About Their Future Job Prospects
The effects of recent layoffs continue to spread across the industry. Over one in four (28%) survey respondents were laid off in the past two years, increasing to one-third (33%) for those in the United States, and half said their current (or most recent) employer has conducted layoffs in the past 12 months. Those at AAA studios were highly likely to have experienced layoffs at their companies; two-thirds of respondents at AAA studios said their companies had layoffs. One-third of people working at indie studios reported the same.

The smaller survey of students illustrates widespread pessimism among future developers and leaders eager to enter the space. Three-fourths (74%) of surveyed students said they are concerned about their future job prospects in the game industry. Students noted the lack of entry-level jobs, increased competition from laid-off workers with more experience and AI-led displacement.

It's Full Steam (Deck) Ahead; More Developers Use Unreal than Unity
Newly added to the 2026 survey, Valve’s Steam Deck is the fourth-most-developed-for platform among respondents, with 28% of developers making or optimizing games for the PC handheld. In addition, 40% of developers said they’re interested in making games for Steam Deck, putting it on par with the Nintendo Switch 2 (39%). For future game development, PC continues to reign, with 73% of survey executives placing PC in their top 3 next-gen platform they’re most interested in.

Unreal Engine is the most popular engine among survey respondents. 42% of developers reported that it is their primary engine for game development, ahead of the next-most-popular engine, Unity, at 30%. Unreal Engine adoption appears to be more common for developers at AA (59%) and AAA (47%) studios. A majority (54%) of developers at older indie studios are still using Unity. Godot has gained some use with newer indie developers (11%), but less so with those at more established studios.

Generative AI Usage Varies Significantly Based on Role and Discipline
Survey results indicate that over one-third (36%) of game industry professionals are using generative AI tools as part of their job. 30% of respondents at game studios reported using AI tools, which is far less than the 58% of those at publishing companies, support teams, and marketing/PR firms that reported to use AI tools. Business professionals’ use (58%) far outweighs that of most other disciplines.

Sentiment from game Industry professionals reveal that they often balance the use of multiple AI tools for multiple purposes, rather than relying on a single platform or use. The most used AI tool for game industry professionals are large language models (LLMs)—mainly ChatGPT (74%), followed by Google Gemini (37%) and Microsoft Copilot (22%). The most common use is research or brainstorming (81%), followed by daily tasks (like writing emails) and code assistance (47% each), and prototyping (35%).

Opinions on Generative AI Hit a New Low; Over Half of Game Industry Professionals Think it’s Bad for the Industry
According to this year’s survey, over half (52%) of game industry professionals think generative AI is having a negative impact on the game industry, up from 30% last year and 18% the year prior. Workers in visual and technical art (64%), game design and narrative (63%), and game programming (59%) hold the most unfavorable views. About 7% of respondents think generative AI is having a positive impact on the game industry, down from 13% in GDC’s 2025 report. That amount is higher for executives, and those in business operations and services (19% each).

Majority of Game Workers Would Like to Join a Union
82% of US-based respondents support the unionization of game industry workers, with 5% opposed and 13% unsure. Support was higher among workers earning under $200,000 per year (87%), those who have been laid off in the past two years (88%) and people younger than 45 (86%). No respondents aged 18-24 were opposed to unionization.

One-tenth (10%) of respondents said they’re members of an industry-wide union like the United Videogame Workers-CWA (which was launched at GDC in 2025), and 2% are members of a company union. These numbers may rise in the coming years, though, as 62% of game industry professionals said they were interested in joining a union.

One-Third of Game Workers Primarily Turn to Self Funding
Over one-third (35%) of respondents said they mainly turn to self-funding for their games. The other primary sources of funding were publishing deals or project-based funding (20%), co-development contracts (9%), and private investment or venture capital (5% each). About 16% were unsure or said the question didn’t apply to them, with several noting that their games are not currently monetized.

US-Based Tariffs Impact 38% of Industry Business Leaders
In 2025, the US government’s executive branch imposed a series of tariffs on imported goods, including video game hardware and the components needed to manufacture it. Over 200 industry executives, investors, and business and finance professionals were asked whether the tariffs have taken a toll. About 38% of respondents said US-based tariffs are impacting their expenses, revenue, or financial decisions; 39% said there’s been no impact, and 23% were unsure. The numbers were similar for those inside and outside the United States.

Marketers Leaning Primarily on Social Media Video for Discovery
Social media (65%) is the primary discovery method for game marketers—and in that world, video reigns supreme. Their top social media platforms are Instagram/Reels (66%), TikTok (64%), and YouTube/Shorts (63%). Other top discovery methods include streamers (39%), paid advertising (31%), and in-person or virtual events (30%).

Marginalized Workers More Likely to Spot DEI Changes on the Job
For currently employed people in the United States, one-fifth (22%) of LGBTQ+ and 18% of women and non-White participants said they’ve noticed changes related to diversity and equity issues or free speech. However, only 10% of men and 13% of White respondents reported the same. Altogether, 14% have seen changes, 63% said they have not, and 23% were unsure.

About GDC Festival of Gaming
GDC Festival of Gaming is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game industry community year-round through events and digital media, including GDC Vault, GameDeveloper.com, Independent Games Festival, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.

GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and one of the leading B2B Events organizers in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit https://www.informa.com/.

So. Seems some guys that organize a Video Game con surveyed attending gamedevs and... game "educators"? Marketers? Executives? Investors? And... students? For some reason. The sample pool for the data is already brought into question, but here's the numbers in a more analytical format anyway.

Layoffs:
Have you been laid off in the past 2 years?
Yes - 28%, raised to 33% among US workers.

Has your most recent employer conducted layoffs in the past 12 months?
Yes - >50%

Are you, as a student, concerned about your future game prospects in the video game industry?
Yes - 74%

Platforms:
Are you, as a developer, making or optimizing games for the Steam Deck?
Yes - 28%

Are you, as a developer, interested in making games for the Steam Deck or the Switch 2?
Yes, Steam Deck - 40%
Yes, Switch 2 - 39%

Are you, as an executive, interested in making games for PC?
Yes - 73%

Engines:
Which game engine do you primarily use for game development?
Unreal Engine - 42%, raised to 47% among AAA studio devs and 59% among AA studio devs.
Unity - 30%, raised to 54% among "older" indie devs
Godot - 11% among "newer" indie devs

Generative AI GOOD:
Are you using generative AI tools as part of your job?
Yes - 30% among game devs, raised to 58% among those working in publishing, marketing, PR and support.

Which AI tool do you use?
ChatGPT - 74%
Gemini - 37%
Copilot - 22%

What do you use AI tools for?
Research or brainstorming - 81%
Daily tasks (like writing e-mails) or code assistance - 47%
Prototyping - 35%

Generative AI BAD:
Do you think generative AI is having a positive or negative impact on the game industry?
Positive - 7%, raised to 19% among executives and 19% among those in business operations and services.
Negative - 52%, raised to 59% among programming professionals, 63% among game design and narrative professionals, and 64% among visual and technical art professionals.

Unions:
How do you, as a respondent based in the US, feel about the unionization of game industry workers?
Support - 82%, raised to 86% among those younger than 45, 87% among those who have been laid off the past 2 years, 88% among those earning under $200,000 per year.
Unsure - 13%
Opposed - 5%, down to 0% among those aged 18-24.

Are you, as a game industry professional, a member of a union?
Yes, industry-wide union - 10%
Yes, company union - 2%

Are you, as a game industry professional, interested in joining a union?
Yes - 62%

Funding:
What are your primary sources for game funding?
Self-funding - 35%
Publishing deals or project-based funding - 20%
Co-development contracts - 9%
Private investment or venture capital - 5%
Unsure/Irrelevant - 16%

US Tariffs:
Are US-based tariffs impacting your expenses, revenue or financial decisions?
Yes - 38%
No - 39%
Unsure - 23%

Game Discovery:
As a game marketer, what is your primary discovery method?
Social media - 65%
Streamers - 39%
Paid advertising - 31%
In-person or virtual events - 30%

Among social media platforms, which are the most used for discovery?
Instagram/Reels - 66%
TikTok - 64%
Youtube/Shorts - 63%

DEI Changes:
As a currently employed game industry professional, have you noticed changes related to diversity and equity issues or free speech?
Yes - 14%, raised to 18% among women and non-whites, 22% among LGBTQ+, down to 13% among whites and 10% among men.
No - 63%
Unsure - 23%


There you have it. I'm most surprised "In-person or virtual events" are ranked so high in marketing tactics. Like what does that entail that would not fall under paid advertising or social media? Every virtual event you'd try to make would most likely have to be hosted on a social media.

[J1M]

Educators = former game devs that can't find an industry job anymore
Students = dreamers the industry extracts money from for whispered promises of access

[rusty_shackleford]

US Tariffs:
Are US-based tariffs impacting your expenses, revenue or financial decisions?
Yes - 38%
No - 39%
Unsure - 23%

Good to know 38% of them are just straight up lying