New Delhi, June 19: The global video game industry is undergoing significant layoffs, with approximately 3,700 employees losing their jobs in 2026 alone, according to a report released on Friday.
The report from a trading platform indicates that if unverified layoffs and studio closures are included, the total number of job cuts in gaming studios worldwide exceeds 4,000.
Data shows that in June, layoffs across the technology sector reached at least 143,378.
The United States remains the epicenter of job reductions in the video game industry for 2026, with 2,153 positions eliminated, accounting for about 58.2% of the global total.
Epic Games, the company behind ‘Fortnite’ and ‘Unreal Engine,’ announced the largest layoffs, cutting nearly 1,000 jobs, marking one of the most significant reductions in the gaming sector to date.
Bungie, the studio known for ‘Halo’ and ‘Destiny,’ revealed plans to lay off around 400 employees, while several other established developers and publishers have also announced smaller cuts throughout the year.
France has also been adversely affected, with hundreds of jobs lost across four gaming companies. Ubisoft announced the termination of approximately 680 positions as part of a major restructuring across several studios.
In Canada, at least 257 jobs were cut in the gaming sector, including 124 positions at Eidos-Montreal following the cancellation of a major AAA project. The layoffs in 2026 have not only reduced employee numbers but have also led to the complete closure of several studios.
Cloud and SaaS companies eliminated around 31,900 jobs in 2026, while e-commerce firms cut approximately 21,000 positions, and IT service companies laid off over 16,700 employees. Social media platforms, enterprise software providers, and fintech companies also reduced their workforce by more than 10,000 employees.
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