New publication: Game Makers Against the Apocalypse

An increasing number of people, including game developers, describe feelings of eco-anxiety: the emotional distress caused by environmental destruction, planetary decay, and facing an uncertain future. In response, developers have begun to coordinate and take action against climate change within their possibilities as game makers, from in-game climate marches to transformations of production procedures. Many of these actions were introduced through bottom-up processes and grassroots efforts, driven by a sense of urgency and care for both people and the planet.

The recently published article “Game Makers against the Climate Apocalypse. Corporate Sustainability, Local Action, and Planetary Care in Game Development”, by Sonia Fizek and Ruth Eggel, examines the relation of these grassroots initiatives with corporate sustainability strategies in the game industry. As part of the Anthology of the Future and Reality of Gaming (FROG) Conference 2024, titled “Gaming the Apocalypse,” the full article is available here: https://door.donau-uni.ac.at/o:5804

This paper is based on research conducted as part of Work Package 2, Work Cultures – People and Planet, for the STRATEGIES research project. Before the ethnographic research started to dive further into individual strategies of game makers, this article presents a preliminary analysis of the activities of networks and community initiatives, like the IGDA Climate special interest group. It highlights that while corporate sustainability initiatives often depend on quantified metrics and financial incentives, the absence of standardised emissions data and industry-wide benchmarks may delay meaningful action. At the same time, numerous often invisible bottom-up efforts are already driving change. Local strategies address planetary entanglements and frequently adopt a care-driven approaches that prioritise both planetary and human well-being, while also challenging dominant industry norms such as competition, precarity, and burnout. These grassroots initiatives don’t oppose top-down mandates; instead, they frequently help to establish or strengthen corporate measures by experimenting with innovative, creative solutions that can be implemented in company procedures.

The workflows of the IGDA Climate SIG combine Game Design, Carbon Emissions and Studio Culture, Image by IGDA Climate SIG (2025), https://www.greengamedesign.com/