The gaming sector is currently facing turbulent times, with studios shuttering operations and significant layoffs sweeping across the industry. Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, echoed the sentiments expressed by Larian’s CEO, Swen Vincke, regarding the industry’s struggles. Kingsley noted, “It cuts across every industry, but I am aware a lot of my colleagues get frustrated from time to time by people who are possibly very good managers but aren’t specialists in the computer games area.”

He also highlighted the ongoing pressure from external managers, leading to unrealistic expectations about product quality, exclaiming, “There are horror stories of people having external producers saying, ‘Look, you just need to make fewer bugs…’ and everyone responds as if they voluntarily added those bugs in the first place.”

Kingsley believes that Rebellion remains somewhat insulated from these pressures, partly because it self-funds its projects and manages the entire workload, including QA and design, internally. He argues that the business model of many large companies appears to prioritize shareholder perceptions over the actual creation of games, which should ideally take precedence. With the ongoing trend of enshittification—where user needs are ignored in favor of quick profits—the industry’s future is uncertain, yet Kingsley remains hopeful amidst the chaos.