Game Developers Conference report shows rising GenAI use

Game devs use GenAI everywhere behind the scenes, hate it more each year, and mostly keep it away from players.

GDC report lays out the split

• The Game Developers Conference released the State of the Game Industry Report 2026.
• Over 2,300 industry workers answered the survey.
• Topics covered: layoffs, tools, platforms, and GenAI.
• Opinions landed all over the place.

Studios use it even if devs don’t

• 35 percent said they do not personally use GenAI.
• 52 percent said their studio uses GenAI tools.
• 78 percent said their workplace has GenAI rules.
• Only 15 percent reported no policy at all.

What GenAI actually gets used for

• Most studios lean on LLMs like ChatGPT.
• Research and brainstorming ranked highest.
• Daily tasks like emails and code help follow.
• Player-facing features barely registered.

Limits and guardrails tighten

• 22 percent said only approved tools are allowed.
• Asset generation sat at 19 percent usage.
• Procedural generation hit 10 percent.
• Direct gameplay use stayed at 5 percent.

Vibes getting worse, not better

• 52 percent said GenAI harms the industry.
• That negativity jumped sharply from last year.
• Some said they use it only to keep jobs.
• Ethical anger showed up repeatedly.

Small teams feel cornered

• Indie devs said GenAI boosts output with fewer staff.
• Efficiency mattered more than creativity.
• Others called the tech exploitative.
• Use feels forced in some studios.

Players mostly untouched

• Most GenAI work stays off-screen.
• Studios aim to shield players from it.
• Pushback focuses on exploitation, not tools.
• The debate stays far from finished.