The Australian game development industry is in a growth phase. Studio headcounts are climbing, new projects are being greenlit, and the combination of the Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) and state-level funding programs is making Australia a genuinely attractive place to build games.

If you’re looking for a game dev job in 2026, the landscape is more promising than it’s been in over a decade. But knowing where to look — and what studios actually need — makes all the difference. Here’s a practical breakdown of who’s hiring, what they want, and how to position yourself.

The Big Studios

Firemonkeys (Melbourne)

EA’s Melbourne studio continues to be one of the largest employers in Australian game development. They’ve been expanding teams around their mobile and console projects, with particular demand for experienced engineers and technical artists. If you’re a Unity or Unreal developer with shipped titles, Firemonkeys is always worth checking.

They’re also one of the few Australian studios that consistently hires junior developers through structured graduate programs. Keep an eye on their careers page around March-April when they typically post intake rounds.

Team Cherry (Adelaide)

The Hollow Knight studio has been growing steadily as Silksong development continues. They’re notoriously selective — Team Cherry has always run lean — but they’ve posted roles for programmers and artists over the past year. If you’re a 2D artist or have experience with custom game engines, this is a dream opportunity.

Fair warning: they receive an enormous volume of applications. Your portfolio needs to be exceptional.

Halfbrick Studios (Brisbane)

The Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride team has been through some turbulent years but is in a rebuilding phase with new projects in development. They’ve been hiring across multiple disciplines, including game designers, mobile engineers, and QA specialists. Brisbane’s lower cost of living compared to Melbourne and Sydney makes Halfbrick positions particularly attractive from a lifestyle perspective.

Mid-Size Studios on the Rise

SMG Studio (Sydney/Melbourne)

The team behind Moving Out and Death Squared has been steadily growing. They work across multiple projects simultaneously, which means they hire more frequently than single-project studios. They’re particularly strong on Switch and PC development and have been looking for Unity developers and level designers.

SMG is also known for a good studio culture, which is worth factoring into your decision. Crunch culture varies wildly across Australian studios, and SMG has a reputation for reasonable hours.

Mighty Kingdom (Adelaide)

One of South Australia’s largest game studios, Mighty Kingdom works on both original IP and work-for-hire projects. They’ve grown significantly over the past two years and hire across programming, art, design, and production. Their work-for-hire model means they often need people quickly when new contracts land.

Adelaide’s game dev scene is smaller but increasingly vibrant, and Mighty Kingdom is at the centre of it.

League of Geeks (Melbourne)

The Armello developers have been working on new projects and have expanded their team. They’re a strong choice if you’re interested in strategy and digital board game design. They’ve been hiring artists, designers, and engineers, with a particular emphasis on people who understand multiplayer systems.

Indie Studios Worth Watching

Witch Beam (Brisbane)

The Unpacking developers are working on their next title, and that means hiring. Witch Beam is small but has built an incredible reputation for polished, emotionally resonant games. If you’re a narrative designer, environment artist, or audio designer, keep tabs on their openings.

House House (Melbourne)

The Untitled Goose Game team operates with a tiny headcount, but they’ve been making noise about expanding for their next project. Any opening here will be highly competitive, but the creative freedom and the studio’s track record speak for themselves.

Ghost Pattern (Melbourne)

Wayward Strand was a critical darling, and Ghost Pattern has been building toward their next project. They’re a values-driven studio with a strong commitment to diverse storytelling and innovative narrative design. Worth watching if interactive narrative is your focus.

The Most In-Demand Roles

Based on job postings across Australian studios over the past six months, here’s what the market actually needs:

Programmers remain the highest-demand role across the board. Specifically, studios want engineers with experience in gameplay programming, multiplayer/networking, and tools development. Unreal Engine experience has overtaken Unity in demand at larger studios, though Unity remains dominant at mid-size and indie level.

Technical artists are the hardest role to fill in Australia right now. If you can bridge the gap between art and engineering — shader development, pipeline tools, rigging, VFX — you are in an extremely strong position. Multiple studios have told me they’ve had technical artist roles open for months without finding the right candidate.

Producers and project managers with actual game development experience are in demand. Studios are scaling up and need people who can keep complex projects on track. Generic project management experience isn’t enough — studios want people who understand game development pipelines specifically.

QA specialists are increasingly valued as studios mature. The old model of using QA as an entry-level revolving door is shifting toward dedicated, skilled testers who understand automated testing, regression workflows, and platform certification requirements.

How to Actually Get Hired

A few practical tips from conversations with Australian studio hiring managers:

Portfolio over credentials. A strong portfolio of work — even personal projects or game jam entries — matters more than a degree. Show what you’ve made, explain your role in it, and demonstrate your thinking process.

Contribute to the local scene. Attend game dev meetups in your city. Melbourne’s IGDA chapter, Brisbane’s Game Dev Network, and Sydney’s events are where hiring managers meet potential candidates informally. Game jams like Global Game Jam and local events run by Let’s Make Games (Perth) or the Game Dev Association of Australia are excellent ways to build skills and connections simultaneously.

Apply to studios you admire, even if they’re not advertising. Many Australian studios hire opportunistically. If the right person appears, they’ll create a role. A well-crafted email with a strong portfolio can open doors that job boards don’t show.

Consider work-for-hire studios. Companies like Mighty Kingdom, Tantalus, and other service-oriented studios hire more frequently and can provide excellent experience working on major IP. It’s a great way to build shipped titles on your CV.

The Bigger Picture

The Australian game development industry employed over 2,400 people at last count, and that number is growing. The DGTO has made a tangible difference in studio sustainability, and state governments in Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia continue to invest in the sector.

Is it easy to get a game dev job in Australia? No. Competition is stiff, and the industry is still small relative to markets in the US, UK, or Japan. But the opportunities are real, the studios are growing, and the quality of life in Australian cities makes the trade-offs worthwhile.

If you’re serious about breaking in, start building things today. Ship small projects. Join the community. The Australian game dev scene is tight-knit, and people who show up consistently tend to find their way in.