A 2025 Take This study points to a substantial mental-health and burnout burden among the developers who took part: in figures described by clinical psychologist Elizabeth Kilmer, about 20% rated their mental health good or very good, 2% rated it excellent, and 94% reported at least one burnout symptom. Those results are concerning, but they are sample findings—not a population-wide estimate—and they do not show that game work caused every symptom.
What the Take This study found
Take This published its 2025 Mental Health in the Games Industry report on March 17, 2026. The survey was designed to examine developers’ major stressors, burnout symptoms, coping strategies, existing industry supports, and resources they would like to have. The report was presented at GDC 2026 by Take This executive director Kelli Dunlap and clinical psychologist Elizabeth Kilmer.
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The accessible report page does not provide the full methodology or sample details. In an interview reproduced in the GDC Trends Report, Kilmer described the study’s results this way:
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- About 20% of the study sample rated their mental health as good or very good; 2% rated it excellent.
- 94% reported at least one of 12 possible burnout symptoms, with respondents averaging seven symptoms.
These figures describe the surveyed sample. Without complete information about how respondents were recruited and who they represent, they should not be treated as rates for all game developers. Nor does reporting a burnout symptom amount to a clinical diagnosis or establish that work caused it.
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Why game work may make boundaries difficult
Kilmer observes that game development can be passion-driven: a person’s job may overlap with hobbies and social connections. That overlap could contribute to over-engagement even when a manager is not explicitly pressuring someone to work more. It is an interpretation of a possible dynamic, not a measured finding that passion or any one workplace factor causes poor mental health.
The study’s stated scope points to a broader picture than any single explanation. Stressors, coping, symptoms, available support, and desired resources are related questions, but the accessible results do not establish one cause of the challenges developers reported.
What developers used and what they asked for
Kilmer described accommodations developers used as well as resources they wanted. Availability and demand are different: a benefit a studio offers is not necessarily the support employees say they need, and a requested resource is not proof that it will work for every person.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Category | Examples described by Kilmer | What the finding indicates |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodations developers used | Flexible schedules, remote work, and muted notifications | These were reported as accommodations in use; the interview does not establish their effectiveness for every worker. |
| Resources developers wanted | Wellness stipends and education about ADHD, autism, burnout prevention, resilience, and navigating layoffs | These were reported requests, not evidence that any one resource addresses every workplace need. |
For studios, the distinction is practical: count not only what is on a benefits list, but also whether workers can access it and whether it responds to the needs they identify. The study is intended to help studios understand which supports are useful and relevant. Take This also offers consulting and workshops for the industry; studios can explore those options directly with the organization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the 2025 findings differ from older industry data
A 2020 International Game Developers Association survey offers pandemic-era context, not a direct comparison with the Take This study. It received 288 responses about COVID-19’s effects on game developers. In that survey, 21.4% rated their mental health 1 or 2 on a five-point scale from terrible to great; 32.4% said they needed more mental-health support, and 41.9% said they needed more community support. The survey also covered pandemic-related employment and remote-work disruption.
The dates, questions, and methods differ, so these figures should not be read as evidence that mental health improved or worsened between 2020 and 2025. They describe separate snapshots in distinct contexts.
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What studios can take from the findings
- Ask what employees need, not only what benefits exist. The reported difference between accommodations in use and requested resources gives studios a reason to check whether support matches staff priorities.
- Make flexibility usable. Flexible schedules, remote work, and muted notifications were among the accommodations developers reported using. The findings identify them as practices in use, not a guaranteed solution.
- Address work conditions as well as individual coping. The study examined both coping strategies and stressors; treating mental health solely as an individual responsibility would leave the workplace dimension out of view.
- Keep support relevant as circumstances change. Requests included education about layoffs as well as burnout prevention, resilience, ADHD, and autism. Studios can use employee feedback to determine which topics and forms of support are relevant to their teams.
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