DESPITE SOME LAYOFFS, THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY IS STILL HIRING and facing talent shortages. While indie studios have benefited from better access to talent, companies struggle to train junior talent to meet their needs. Competition for senior experts stays fierce, and retaining top talent continues to be difficult despite the broader industry slowdown. Consequently, Finnish studios continue to invest in recruiting senior talent from abroad; however, the general downturn of the Finnish economy and stricter immigration rules might harm Finland´s attractivity for foreign talent, especially those who would relocate to Finland with their families.
There is no formal education in Finland for game publishing or game marketing. Only a few Finns have experience working for a game publisher. This creates additional challenges for self-publishing studios and emerging publishers seeking the talent necessary to grow their businesses. Luckily, professional game education programs continue to attract new students, and the game jam community is keeping the passionate amateur game development scene alive in the country.
The pandemic forced the industry to adopt remote working, and this remote or hybrid work model has persisted even after the pandemic. Cross-border remote work has allowed Finnish game developers to access a global talent pool. However, it has also brought about new challenges, particularly in understanding local employment and social security regulations. These issues remain largely unresolved. Additionally, there is another aspect to consider: Finns working remotely from Finland for companies based outside the country. Although there is some evidence of this remote work occurring, there are currently no effective methods to estimate the extent of this phenomenon.
Critical Force \\ Tumble Troopers
