It depends on the role — but in many cases, experience wins. Especially when we talk about senior positions or candidates for top-grossing studios.
For creative and tech roles (game designers, developers, artists), skills are crucial — but only when they’re backed by real shipped projects, modding experience, or at least a solid portfolio.
For production, analytics, or management roles, experience often takes the lead — the ability to deliver, manage, and impact KPIs matters more than tool proficiency alone.
As our expert Valeriia Bakhvalova , Head of Sourcing at VALUES VALUE: Recruitment for Game Development Industry , puts it:
“Honestly, when we get a request for a ‘rockstar’ from a top-grossing studio (which is literally every second brief), I don’t even look at skills on the resume. For these companies, it’s always about experience.”
Our advice: show your skills through your experience. Instead of listing tools, describe what you’ve built with them, what results you’ve delivered, and in what context.
Want help assessing a job opportunity? Our team is always happy to take a look. Just reach out — talent@valuesvalue.com.
