Microsoft and Epic Games have recently left the Korea Association of Game Industry through their Korean branches. Both companies have voluntarily withdrawn from the organization, as confirmed by their removal from the member companies list on the association's website.
Microsoft Korea had only become a board member of the association in 2023, making their departure particularly notable as they've left after just two years. This exit comes at a time when Microsoft's headquarters was working through merger and acquisition procedures with Blizzard in the Korean market.
Epic Games Korea, meanwhile, had been a regular member of the association for many years. The company even served as the main sponsor for G-STAR in 2018, Korea's largest gaming exhibition hosted by the association, where they promoted their popular game "Fortnite."
According to ChosunBiz, some industry observers believe these exits are connected to the broader trend of workforce reductions sweeping through the global gaming industry since 2023. Epic Games itself cut 830 jobs in 2023, which represented about 16% of its total workforce. Other major companies have followed similar patterns, with both Blizzard Entertainment (a Microsoft subsidiary) and Riot Games (maker of League of Legends and Valorant) reducing staff at their Korean branches after major restructuring at their headquarters.
On a global scale, more than 16,000 gaming professionals lost their jobs in 2024 alone. A Game Developers Conference (GDC) report highlighted that approximately one out of every 10 game developers faced job cuts last year.
The difficult employment situation has continued into 2025, with over 2,000 professionals losing their positions in just the first two months of the year. Many major companies in the gaming and tech space, including Microsoft, Ubisoft, Unity, Warner Bros. Games, PlayStation, and NetEase have all announced layoffs recently.
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