Game Dev in 2025: Excerpts From the State of Game Development Report | The .NET Tools Blog

As of 2025, the game development industry is experiencing significant changes, notably with increased layoffs leading to decreased job security, which has made developers among the least confident in the tech sector. Unity continues to dominate as the preferred engine for indie and mid-sized studios, while the open-source Godot engine gains popularity for its flexibility and community-driven nature. Mobile and desktop platforms, particularly Android, Windows, and iOS, are the primary focus for indie developers due to their broader user bases. JetBrains Rider has become the most favored IDE for indie developers, surpassing Visual Studio and VS Code, due to its comprehensive features and seamless integration. AI technology has transitioned from experimental to essential in game development, with tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and JetBrains AI Assistant becoming regular parts of developers' toolkits, while the newly released AI coding agent, JetBrains' Junie, is quickly gaining traction, particularly among AAA studios interested in integrating AI into their workflows.