While consumers celebrate 2023 as a ‘great year for games!’, a lot of those who make them weren’t as thrilled. Stephen Totilo at Axios looked back over the year, and spoke to developers: over 6,000 industry jobs were cut in 2023, with major studios like Epic and EA making significant staff reductions. The impact extends beyond development roles, affecting DNI and HR jobs, and disproportionately impacting women. Unions may offer a solution as the industry adjusts to post-pandemic working conditions.