India, Dec. 27 -- The best that can be said of gaming in 2025 is that things weren't as bad as in 2024.

The year saw some dark patterns continue. Layoffs, estimated at about 5,300 as of November 30, were lower than in 2024 (14,600) and 2023 (10,500). In January, however, something shifted. For the first time in years, industry tracker Amir Satvat noted that hiring in gaming wasn't just holding steady, it was actually keeping pace with layoffs, and in some cases even exceeding them.

After the bloodshed of the past few years, even such news feels welcome.

Studios building the next wave of big titles (CD Projekt Red has The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2; Sony Santa Monica has a new God of War) began recruiting globally again, hiring in places...