It feels like a weird time to celebrate International Women's Day, particularly in an industry where extreme layoffs over the past two years have disproportionally affected many female developers and female-driven departments. Scrolling through our social media timelines, some company IWD celebrations can feel a little hollow. Which is why I really appreciate Remedy's approach...
For their International Women's Day feature, the studio spotlighted five incredible female developers, all from different Remedy departments, to share what advice they'd give to other women in the industry and how the industry itself needs to improve.
"Our common goal should be that people who come after us have a better time getting into the industry than we did," hopes Elina, Rigging Artist at Remedy.
She also provides advice for those hoping to get into the industry or maybe find their next job in this weird, always 'on' hustle culture. "Give yourself time to learn and remember that this is a cycle of marathons that absolutely requires proper sleep, proper fun and a proper lunch. It takes years to become good in a complex craft that keeps changing every year."
Helena, Senior Development Manager is welcomingly blunt in her demands, stating, "There should be more female managers and leaders. There are still very few of them in e.g. game project core management teams."
Mirroring Helena's hope for the industry is Lucile, QA Tester, who stated, We need more women working in games because the question is still being asked. The day we no longer have to ask those questions to legitimize or explain our presence will be a day to celebrate."
As for what you can do now to help improve the industry, she recommends "Ensure that the work and voices of other women doesn't go unnoticed by being vocal and public with positive feedback."
"Look out for your friends and help uplift people who need it. Recognize your status and strengths and see what you could do to help the people around you," advises Riikka, Development Coordinator. She also recommends keeping in touch with yourself and your well-being: "Don't settle for environments that make you feel inferior. Know that there are awesome teams all around the world that would gladly welcome you as their kin!"
The final person the community heard from was Vida, Senior Community Manager, who acknowledged how difficult it can be to navigate within the industry. "Working in games can be a difficult path, but it's made easier if you surround yourself with a community. Find a group you can learn from!"
Thank you to Elina, Lucile, Helena, Riikka, and Vida who shared their hopes for the industry and advice to fellow developers in the Remedy feature! You can view their original posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
