According to the ASGC Game Industry Layoff Tracker, as of October 20, 2026, 10,977 jobs had been cut globally in the gaming industry this year, surpassing its recorded total of 9,197 for all of 2025. During the same period, approximately 35 studios closed, and 161 studios were affected by layoffs.
Based on the rate of change at the time, the tracker estimates that job losses in the gaming industry could reach approximately 13,077 for the full year of 2026, which would still be below the record of 15,631 jobs lost in 2024. October has been described as the month with the most concentrated impact this year.
Notable cases include around 400 role adjustments at EA, changes related to BioWare, 24 layoffs at Sucker Punch, and over 70 layoffs at Supermassive Games. Microsoft's Xbox division is also continuing to implement the layoff plan affecting 3,200 employees announced in July.
The figure of 10,977 is current as of October 20. Some of the subsequently listed events occurred on October 21 and are not fully included in this total. The relevant data comes from civilian industry trackers, not from regulatory bodies or official economy-wide employment statistics, so omissions may exist.