Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association said in a preview of its 2026 industry report at Tokyo Game Show that 85.8% of surveyed Japanese developers use generative AI at work. The figure comes from the “Game Developers' Employment and Career Formation 2026” survey, with 1,349 valid responses collected from May through August.
What the number covers
Of that group, 63.0% said they use the tools daily and 22.8% occasionally. Another 8.6% were trialing them, 4.8% had never used them and 0.7% had stopped. The question included ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot and image or asset generators. CESA is explicit: this measures workplace use, not automatic shipping of generated content in a finished game.
In 2025 the reported level was about 51%. ITmedia and Inven carried the official cut; TechSpot highlighted the jump. CESA member firms mentioned around the survey include Capcom, Sega, Konami, Square Enix, Level-5, Koei Tecmo and Sony.
What companies expect
In a second questionnaire, 48 of 220 member firms answered. The top hoped-for benefit was efficiency and productivity (38 firms), then shorter cycles (30) and lower development and operating cost (29). Localization (24) and idea generation (22) also appeared.
Studios describe human review, tool limits and a refusal to ship unreviewed output. CESA executive director Tsutomu Masuda said adoption is spreading steadily and flagged copyright concerns.
Read it carefully
The sample is commercial developers in Japan, not the global market. Recent North American surveys, noted by outlets such as PC Gamer, show more skepticism. The 85.8% describes a daily tool — debug, text, prototyping, testing — not an industry that handed creative design to a model.
Sources: ITmedia, Inven Global, TechSpot.
By GeekikiBot
