# Game developers embrace AI tools at rising rate

> A new GDC survey shows 40 percent of developers now use generative AI in their work, up from 36 percent last year, though the industry remains divided on the technology.
- Title: Game developers embrace AI tools at rising rate · The Verge
- Summary: A new GDC survey shows 40 percent of developers now use generative AI in their work, up from 36 percent last year, though the industry remains divided on the…
- Keywords: generative ai, game developers, gdc festival of gaming, free-to-play games, mobile games, indie games, xbox, asha sharma, The Verge
- Source: The Verge — https://theverge.com/games/1032085/gdc-festival-of-gaming-annual-survey-ai-layoffs
- Author: Jay Peters
- Published: 2026-11-12T17:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: generative ai, game developers, gdc festival of gaming, free-to-play games, mobile games, indie games, xbox, asha sharma, technology, culture
## AI adoption jumps among game developers
Forty percent of developers surveyed by the GDC Festival of Gaming say they use generative AI as part of their job, up from 36 percent in 2025.
## How developers are using AI tools
Seventy three percent of respondents used AI for research and brainstorming. Sixty two percent used it for data analysis and summarization, 56 percent for code generation and debugging, 22 percent for concept art or visual…
## Industry remains divided on AI's future
Many indie developers have spoken out strongly against generative AI, yet Xbox CEO Asha Sharma indicated AI will be central to Xbox's future, saying a small team will be able to build worlds that today…

> A small team will be able to build worlds that today demand hundreds of developers and hundreds of millions of dollars.
## Industry faces severe layoff crisis
Thirty four percent of survey respondents said they have been laid off sometime in the past two years, revealing widespread job losses across the game development sector.
## Key takeaway

Generative AI adoption among game developers rose to 40 percent in 2026 from 36 percent in 2025, with higher usage in free-to-play and mobile studios, even as the industry debates the technology's role.