Layoffs have been horribly commonplace over the past few years, as publishers and studios of all shapes and sizes grapple with uncertain economic prospects. During his keynote at GDC 2026, Rob Pardo, former Blizzard CCO and co-founder of Bonfire Studios, called for executives to place more value on developers than the games.
"To those of you who are executives or business leaders, I will leave you with one final thought: If you create a game that truly endures, it's incredibly difficult," he said, as transcribed by PCGamer. "And if you're fortunate enough to launch one of those games, the rewards can be extraordinary."
Just recently, EA made layoffs within its Battlefield studios, despite Battlefield 6 being a record-setting installment in the series. Ubisoft laid off staff and cancelled the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. Highguard, reportedly funded by Tencent, went from closing The Game Awards to shutting down in a matter of months.
Job security appears to be at an all-time low, and Pardo believes companies are devaluing institutional knowledge. "All of the mistakes, the learning, and the North Stars that led the team to the final product are long buried," he says, before ending on a final plea to those in charge.
"So treasure that team, nurture that team, give them the autonomy to keep taking care of the players, because the thing that made the game special in the first place is the people who built it," Pardo states.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
