Jason Kingsley, the head of Rebellion, has echoed criticisms of the AAA gaming industry previously voiced by Sven Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios. According to Kingsley, publishers have been repeating the same mistakes for years, prioritizing financial metrics over game quality.

Kingsley recalled instances where external producers pressured developers to "create fewer bugs to finish the project faster." He sarcastically remarked that studios should simply avoid "deciding to add 1,500 bugs" if that’s the expectation. However, he pointed out that the root issue lies deeper: incompetent leadership that prioritizes quarterly reports over the games themselves.

In his view, large gaming companies are more focused on managing investor perceptions than creating meaningful gaming experiences. The actual process of making games has become secondary to financial performance.

Kingsley is not alone in his critique. Similar concerns have been raised by leaders across the industry. The head of Hooded Horse, publisher of Manor Lords and Against the Storm , as well as Johan Pilestedt from Arrowhead Game Studios (Helldivers 2 ), have expressed frustration with publishers favoring "safe" projects and chasing trends. This approach often stifles the creative potential of development studios.

Kingsley emphasized that this problem isn’t unique to gaming—it extends to movies, TV series, and other commercial art forms. However, Rebellion has managed to avoid such pressures because it operates independently, without reliance on investors, and self-funds its projects.

This growing criticism highlights a troubling trend in the AAA gaming space. By focusing on short-term gains and market trends, publishers risk alienating players and stifling innovation. As Kingsley and others have pointed out, the true essence of game development—creating immersive, high-quality experiences—often takes a backseat to financial goals.

For now, independent studios like Rebellion serve as a reminder of what’s possible when creative freedom is prioritized over profit-driven decisions. Whether larger publishers will take note remains to be seen, but the conversation underscores the need for change in an industry increasingly driven by numbers rather than passion.

Main image: reddit.com

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