Even if it’s a bit daunting, we’d like to ask Tim Willits just how big of a bubble he’s living in to hold such an opinion.

In general, this isn’t the best time for the gaming industry. Developers are burning out and being discarded at an unprecedented rate. Meanwhile, the AI-induced “RAMpocalypse” is driving up component prices, making upgrades and new systems unaffordable for many. Despite this, Tim Willits, the creative director at Saber Interactive, believes that, thanks to platforms like Fortnite and the widespread availability of smartphones, this is actually a good time for the industry.

Willits acknowledged that the industry is changing and said that the locations where these games are developed may also change, which could be a reference to China’s rise as a major force in game development. He expressed a similar view regarding the tens of thousands of game developers who have lost their jobs in recent years—a troubling trend with no end in sight. His advice to them is to simply keep making games. As for developers not destined to create the next big indie hit, Willits believes the industry will welcome them back eventually.

“I’ve seen a lot of downturns. Remember the death of consoles and the end of PC gaming? What’s so amazing about our industry and the people who work in it is that we make art. We create something that no other industry can: interactive entertainment. Great games will always find a way. If you’re a handful of talented individuals with an idea, now is a great time to be in the industry because you can put a game on anything. You can put a game on your phone. You can develop an independent game on any platform. You can create a Fortnite cloud game. You can create a mega-hit. The possibilities are endless. Honestly, this is a good time. Yes, RAM is expensive. GPUs are expensive, too. But you already have your phone. Make a game on it.

It’s always sad to hear about layoffs. I mean, heck, I know people who were affected by them. But I encourage them to find a few friends and start working on a project. There are so many tools out there. It doesn’t take a huge effort or a huge development budget to make something cool. Other developers, publishers, and companies around the world are looking for these highly talented people who are now available. I bet you’ll see some news about that soon,” Willits said.

There will always be indie game developers who create surprise hits, like Balatro or Vampire Survivors. Others find a comfortable, sustainable niche for themselves, like Jeff Vogel and Mariann Krizsan at Spiderweb Software. However, development carried out as a hobby by people with full-time jobs is arguably irrelevant in light of the systemic problems facing the mainstream gaming industry. According to the 2026 “State of the Game Industry Report” from the Game Developers Conference (GDC), one-third of those employed in the U.S. game industry have been laid off over the past two years, and nearly half of them have been unable to find new jobs within the industry.

Meanwhile, the companies best positioned to rehire many of these people—Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Embracer, Saber’s former parent company—are ruthlessly cutting their workforces. This adds thousands more developers to an already overcrowded job market.

Source: PCGamer