AI is shrinking video game development teams to one

A growing trend in the global video game industry sees individual developers replacing entire teams, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence. Emirhan Gül, a 24-year-old former developer in Istanbul, exemplifies this shift. After working at a Turkish gaming startup where he designed 23 games over five months, Gül experienced burnout due to the intense workload and lack of expertise among some hires. He eventually left the company and founded his own studio. With the introduction of AI tools like Claude Code in early 2025, Gül found that he could manage all aspects of game development alone, significantly reducing the need for a large team. Turkey once thrived as a major hub for mobile game development, hosting over 800 active studios. By 2021, more than half of the top 10 mobile games on Apple's App Store were developed by Turkish studios, including Peak, which became the country's first unicorn. In 2022, Dream Games, Peak’s competitor, followed suit as the second unicorn. These successes inspired many young developers, including Gül, to pursue careers in gaming. However, the landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. The adoption of AI tools has transformed the industry, allowing solo developers to create games independently. According to a recent survey, more than a quarter of workers in the gaming industry have been laid off globally in the past two years. This trend is evident in Turkey, where the number of new gaming startups dropped from nearly 200 in 2021 to 84 in 2023 and further declined to 30 last year. Entry-level positions have become scarce, and larger companies are hesitant to hire new graduates. Nazım Adaklı, a professor at Istanbul’s Bahçeşehir University specializing in AI in games, noted that AI tools have enabled individuals to take on roles previously requiring multiple team members. “Instead of hiring five junior programmers at the startup where he works, my developer friend does all the work himself with AI,” Adaklı explained. The rise of generative AI means that someone without formal training in programming or design can now develop a game, leading to an increase in solo developers and small studios. In 2023, the first Turkey event on Steam saw 67 applications from small and independent studios with two or three employees. By 2024, that number had grown to 254, highlighting the surge in solo developers and small studios. Ender Tínkır, another former developer who left a major studio to go solo, emphasized how AI has integrated into his daily workflow. He used AI extensively in prototyping, visual variations, coding, and iterations. Many of his peers who left companies like Peak or Dream Games have also embraced this new approach. The global video gaming industry, valued at over $500 billion, continues to evolve rapidly. Mobile gaming accounts for half of total sales, dominated by major players such as Sony Entertainment, Microsoft, and Tencent. These giants are also experiencing changes in their workforce structures. Earlier this month, Microsoft Xbox announced plans to eliminate more than 3,000 jobs, representing about a fifth of its workforce, and to divest five of its video-game development studios. This reflects broader industry shifts toward automation and efficiency through AI integration. As AI becomes increasingly sophisticated, the role of human developers is evolving. While some fear job losses and economic instability within the sector, others see opportunities for innovation and personal growth. Developers like Gül and Tínkır are leveraging these technologies to build successful careers independently, illustrating both the challenges and possibilities presented by the ongoing transformation in the gaming industry.