What Studios Are Seeing Right Now in External Development | Amir Satvat

In the first episode of made together, Carla Rylance and Sam Carlisle are joined by Amir Satvat to discuss what’s changing in external development in the video game industry. They reflect on recent conversations at GDC, including shifts in hiring, the growing role of external partners, and how studios are adapting to changing production models. The discussion looks at how external development is becoming more integrated into projects, as well as the challenges facing talent across different regions. The conversation also touches on career paths, industry transitions, and what it means to build and work with teams across studios today. 0:00 Intro 0:45 Insights Report & Industry News 24:00 External Development Talk with Amir Satvat 25:35 GDC Industry Takeaways 51:00 Regional Challenges 1:01:00 Quickfire Questions with Amir 1:15:00 Closing Thoughts Amir Satvat Business Development Director, Tencent Games Founder, Amir Satvat Career Community Amir is known for his work supporting talent across the games industry, sharing job resources, hiring insights, and data on global workforce trends. His perspective brings a broader view of how external development and hiring are shifting across regions and roles.   / amirsatvat   About the series: Supported by XDS Spark, Made Together looks at how games are made across studios, with a focus on external development. Supported by XDS Spark. Hosted by: Carla Rylance, Head of XDS Spark Business Solutions   / carlarylance   Sam Carlisle, Co-Founder of XDS Spark   / samcarlisle   Subscribe to the channel to follow future episodes Learn more: XDS Spark → https://www.xds-spark.com/ External Development Summit → ​​https://xdsummit.com/