“My 20 Years of Experience Are No Longer Enough” — a veteran of GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption can’t find a job

Mass layoffs, studio closures, and the broader crisis in the games industry are hitting ordinary developers first and hardest. That is clearly illustrated by the case of sound designer Rob Carr (Rob Carr), who worked on GTA 5, L.A. Noire, Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Redemption 2. In an interview with the Kiwi Talkz channel, the developer admitted that the market is now flooded with laid-off specialists, and even with a resume like his, finding a job is almost impossible.

According to the developer, the industry largely pushed itself into its current predicament. During the post-COVID boom, many companies expanded production too aggressively, assuming that the surge in demand would last for a long time. Studios increased headcount, launched more and more projects, and planned as if the market would keep growing forever. However, once that period ended, audience interest began to decline. As a result, it was management’s miscalculations and overestimation of the market’s potential that led to the wave of layoffs, studio closures, and the current situation in which dozens of experienced specialists are competing for a single job opening.

Carr’s last workplace was Blizzard, where he worked on Overwatch 2. After his contract ended, the studio placed him on unpaid leave, and he ultimately failed to secure a new job. Carr now lives in Finland and is working on his own game, Nyrkkipoyta.

This news follows the February closure of Midsummer Studios, founded by the creative director of XCOM 2, which shut its doors without releasing a single title.

Do you think the games industry is going through a temporary downturn, or are even more serious shocks still ahead?