Amir Satvat estimates game industry nominal pay fell 13% over four years, with US purchasing power down 23%

Amir Satvat, a former Tencent overseas director and 1Up Ventures partner, estimates from his community dataset that game workers with the same experience saw nominal pay fall about 13% from November 2022 to October 2026, a roughly 23% loss in purchasing power adjusted for US inflation. He attributes the trend mainly to employers requiring about three more years of experience for similar roles at largely unchanged pay. A GDC 2025 survey found 25% of re-employed workers took at least a 10% pay cut, and a Skillsearch 2026 survey found 46% of re-employed workers earned less than before.