The 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) State of the Game Industry report highlights a significant shift in game development focus. A striking 80% of developers are prioritizing PC game creation, a 14% surge from the previous year's 66%.

PC Dominance and Potential Shifts

The report, an annual survey of global developers, reveals the industry's trends, challenges, and opportunities. While the exact reasons for the PC surge remain unclear, the report suggests the rising popularity of Valve's Steam Deck as a contributing factor. Although not a selectable platform option, 44% of developers who selected "Other" specified the Steam Deck as a target platform.

This PC-centric trend builds upon previous years' data, with PC dominance increasing from 56% in 2020 to 66% in 2024. While the rise of user-generated content (UGC) platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, and the anticipated release of the Switch 2, could potentially alter this trajectory, the current trend points towards a further expansion of the PC game library.

Live Service Games: A Mixed Bag

The GDC report also sheds light on the prevalence of live-service games. One-third (33%) of AAA developers are currently working on a live-service title, while 16% of all respondents are involved, and 13% express interest. However, a significant 41% are not interested, citing concerns such as declining player engagement, creative limitations, potentially exploitative practices, and the risk of developer burnout.

GDC emphasizes the issue of market saturation in the live-service sector, highlighting Ubisoft's XDefiant shutdown as a prime example of the challenges in maintaining a sustainable player base.

Geographical Representation Concerns

A subsequent report by PC Gamer raises concerns about the geographical representation within the GDC survey. Nearly 70% of respondents hail from Western countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia), with notable underrepresentation from regions like China and Japan. This skewed demographic could potentially impact the report's overall accuracy and global applicability.