LogInWith less than two weeks to go, the devcom developer conference (#ddc2025) continues to build excitement with fresh program highlights and the release of key insights from this year’s speaker survey.
The 2025 edition of the survey was answered by 100 devcom speakers, offering a snapshot of current industry sentiment, challenges, and trends with insights like:
- 33% of respondents would like to see as little AI involvement in the development process as possible
- 56 participants cite “economic and political uncertainty” as the biggest challenge currently impacting development
- 46% believe “major platform holders” will shift focus toward “cloud and digital services” in the coming years
Meanwhile, devcom has added fresh content to its keynote stage program with two new sessions:
- Letters from Malevelon Creek: Narrative Design of the 'Helldivers 2' Galactic War by Stephen Flowers (Arrowhead Game Studios)
- My 25 Year Journey Through the Game Industry by Minh Le (Ultimo Ratio Games)
- 160 GB of Resistance: A 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' Post-Mortem by Ievgen Grygorovych & Mariia Grygorovych (GSC Game Worlds)
- Picking Up Things: First-Person Interactivity in 'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle' by Zeke Virant (MachineGames)
- (NEW) "Viva La Game Dev: How a YouTube Empire Became Indie Game Gold", featuring the creators behind popular videogame comedy group Viva La Dirt League
- (NEW) "Mario Kart World: Beat the Pros", a live audience challenge hosted by content creators and pro players
Speaker Survey 2025 – Key Results The annual devcom Speaker Survey offers a unique, forward-looking snapshot of the industry's mindset in the current year:
- What business model will dominate the near future? Digital/physical premium games remain the most favored (27%), with paid subscriptions (20%) and Free-to-Play with in-game purchases (18%) also ranking high.
- Is Early Access still viable? 96% believe it is - either broadly (37%) or within specific genres and communities (59%).
- Platform exclusivity is fading Only 6% believe exclusivity will remain a core strategy. Most expect limited (28%) or timed exclusives (34%) to become the norm, with 32% predicting exclusivity will become less common altogether.
- AI in development: where it works best Most valuable use cases cited were code & production (32%) and art & animation (11%). Still, 33% preferred minimal AI involvement, indicating that the divide remains sharp.
- Biggest industry challenges Top concerns included economic and political uncertainty (56 votes), market saturation (53 votes), and rising development costs (44 votes).
- Are large-scale digital showcases still worth it? Visibility was the key reason for 54% of respondents, who answered yes. However, 21% felt costs outweigh benefits, and 8% said they're too crowded for real impact.
- Buying habits: digital vs physical Digital formats dominate with 59% preferring them. Physical editions appeal mainly to collectors (22%), with a further 19% choosing physical by default.
- Cloud gaming outlook The outlook is divided: while 45% think console/PC will remain dominant, another 46% expect major platform holders to shift toward cloud and digital-first services.
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