Lars Janssen of Deck13 Reflects on 2025 and Looks Ahead to 2026

GamesMarkt: What is your verdict as you look back on 2025?

Lars Janssen: "2025 was a demanding year, but also a clarifying one. The industry continued to adapt to shifting player expectations, longer production cycles, and a more selective investment climate. At the same time, we saw studios sharpen their focus, rethink scope, and put more energy into a unique creative identity, paired with sustainable team structures. For me, the year underscored how vital leadership, communication, and trust are when navigating uncertainty like we faced over the past two years in particular. Despite the challenges, the industry moved forward with resilience and – hopefully – a clearer sense of what truly matters."

GamesMarkt: What are your predictions for the gaming industry in 2026?

Lars Janssen: "In 2026, I expect quality and distinctiveness to matter more than ever as the market rewards games with strong identity and long-term appeal. Tooling and workflows will keep improving, especially around AI-assisted development, but teams that integrate these thoughtfully – not blindly – will gain the most. Live service expectations will remain high, while oversaturated segments may face stronger consolidation and discoverability will remain a major issue for most. What becomes less significant is relying on scale alone; players increasingly gravitate to crafted experiences backed by transparent communication and stable communities."

GamesMarkt: How is Deck13 Interactive positioned for 2026?

Lars Janssen: "At DECK 13, we head into 2026 with strong alignment on our vision, clearer structures, and a renewed focus on our strengths: building challenging melee-action experiences and empowering our teams to do their best work. The past year was about transformation and establishing the foundations for long-term stability. Now we’re in a position to execute with focus and predictability, supported by a committed team and a healthy development pipeline. Our goal for 2026 is straightforward: deliver meaningful progress on our project – one of the largest game development projects in Germany – while continuing to strengthen culture, clarity, and leadership across the studio."

Deck13 Interactive is one of Germany's leading game development studios, employing over 80 creative professionals. Based in Frankfurt, the studio has developed over 20 titles, including Atlas Fallen, The Surge 1 & 2, and the first Lords of the Fallen. In 2015, they established the Deck13 Spotlight publishing label, paving the way for successful releases such as CrossCode, Chained Echoes and Drova. Since 2020, the company has been part of Focus Entertainment (Pullup Entertainment).