How AI will reshape games, talent, and growth in 2026

How AI will reshape games, talent, and growth in 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, the future of games will be shaped by a fundamental shift in how companies operate: how they scale creativity, empower talent, and engage players in real-time. AI is no longer a point solution, but the connective layer redefining marketing, organizational design, and player experience. Together, these predictions from SciPlay's leadership reveal how intelligence, humanity, and personalization are converging to set a new baseline for the industry.

-Noga Halperin, SciPlay, Chief Revenue Officer

How AI Will Redefine Creative Scale and Efficiency

In 2026, companies will leverage AI tools more aggressively than ever, not just to cut costs, but to drive growth. AI will empower teams to produce a greater volume and variety of creatives, automate complex marketing and operational processes, and continuously refine lifetime value (LTV) models. The result: will be a new level of speed, personalization, and efficiency across the entire user acquisition and retention funnel.

-Kimber Dall, SciPlay, SVP People

The New Talent Equation Scaling Skills, Purpose, and AI Fluency

In 2026, the way companies attract, develop, and retain talent will undergo a fundamental shift. The most successful teams will combine human creativity with the power of AI, not to replace people, but to amplify their potential. Adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn alongside machines will become the most valuable professional traits.

The hiring playbook is also being rewritten. We're shifting from pedigree to proof. Moving beyond résumés and credentials to focus on portfolios, shipped content, critical thinking and live problem-solving. Skills-based, portfolio-first hiring will open the door to more diverse, non-linear talent, empowering creators from every background to contribute meaningfully to the future of play. At the same time, purpose and wellbeing will become strategic imperatives. As AI accelerates production and decision-making, people will look to their employers for belonging, balance, and growth. The companies that thrive will be those that design cultures where humans and AI elevate one another, blending technology's scale with the creativity, empathy, and passion that only people can bring.

-Cameron Stewart, SciPlay, Group Vice President, US Games

Segmentation Gives Way to Real-Time Cohorts

The old model of static segments, whales, mid-spenders, new users, is fading. Real-time behavior cohorts powered by live data will let us design adaptive journeys that evolve daily.

In 2026, the future of game development will be defined by dynamic personalization. The traditional approach to player segmentation (fixed categories built on historical averages) can't keep pace with the fluid, moment-to-moment nature of player engagement. Instead, real-time cohorts, powered by continuous streams of behavioral and contextual data, will reshape how games evolve, respond, and reward.AI-driven systems will analyze micro-patterns in player behavior, whether its mood shifts, spending tendencies, interaction speed, and even session intent, to automatically adjust difficulty, rewards, and storytelling in real time.
The result will be adaptive player journeys that feel uniquely tailored to each moment of play. For developers, this means a profound shift in design philosophy. We'll move from building static experiences to orchestrating living ecosystems and deliver games that learn, anticipate, and evolve alongside their communities. Creativity will increasingly intersect with data science, as development teams collaborate with AI models to prototype faster, test smarter, and deliver more emotionally resonant experiences. Ultimately, the winners in 2026 will need to have the best games AND the most responsive ones. Experiences that meet players where they are, every day, in real time.