B.C.’s video game industry is undergoing a major shift, with small studios disappearing even as the broader workforce expands.
That’s according to a Jan. 28 report from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC), showing the total number of B.C. video game studios has declined 7.6 per cent between 2021 and 2024, from 158 to 146 during that period.
But B.C. is the only province where full-time employment in the industry has increased, rising from 9,970 workers in 2021 to 10,930 workers in 2024 – up 9.6 per cent. The province is home to 32 per cent of the country’s industry workforce of 34,010.
The report attributes this employment gains the the expansion of larger studios.
Thirty-five per cent of B.C.’s micro studios – those with two to four employees – either ceased operations or downsized between 2021 and 2024, falling from 52 to 34. Canada overall saw a 25-per-cent decline, falling from 452 to 341.
The number of B.C. sole proprietorship studios – those with only one employee – doubled during this period, jumping from seven to 14.
According to the report, the video game industry contributed $5.1 billion to the Canadian economy in 2024 – around three per cent more than in 2021.
The data from the 2024 Canada's Video Game Industry report was collected using the results of two online surveys conducted by Nordicity. The surveys were conducted between May and July of 2024 with responses from 150 video game companies throughout Canada.
