How Smaller Teams Are Solving Big Game Development Problems
You’ve probably heard the phrase “all hands on deck,” but what happens when your hands are already full?
Game development is never a straight line, especially as you get closer to launch. Tasks pile up, deadlines tighten, and things start to shift quickly. Features that were once “almost done” now need urgent attention.
That’s when studios start looking for support. Not just more people, but the right kind of help. Skilled, fast, and focused.
This is where a strike team comes in.
We, Devoted Studios, are that strike team.
But, what exactly is a strike team? How does it work? And why do so many game studios (from indies to AAA) rely on them, especially in the final stretch?
We’ll explain what that means.
What is a Strike Team in Game Development?
A strike team is a small group of developers from different specialties like art directors, technical leads, or producers who come together to solve one specific challenge in the game.
Unlike traditional departments that work separately, strike teams unite people across roles to focus on a shared task. That might be fixing a bug, polishing a feature, or finishing a key system before launch.
Strike teams are temporary. They’re formed when there’s an urgent need and usually finish their work within a few weeks. Once the task is done, the team wraps up.
This model offers speed, clarity, and adaptability—all things game studios need to stay on track in a fast-moving industry.
Harvey Newman, Animation Director at Devoted Studios, explains it well on his YouTube channel,
So basically: when something needs to be fixed fast, and cross-discipline knowledge is required, a strike team forms.
Why Strike Teams Work So Well
Despite the scale of AAA projects, with teams of 100 to 500 people across programming, art, design, audio, QA, and production, things can still slip. With so many teams working in parallel, staying flexible becomes harder, especially as launch day gets closer.
As Harvey Newman, our Animation Director, explains on his video, even at big studios like EA and SEGA, teams usually stay within their departments. But near the end of production, more and more features start needing extra attention.
Studios form these small, cross-discipline groups to solve specific problems quickly. Each person brings a different skill, but they all work toward one clear goal. Communication is faster, decisions are easier, and progress is more focused.
When pressure builds, this is where a strike team can help game studios stay on track.
| Speed and precision |
Strike teams don’t need long onboarding or training. We get into your pipeline quickly, understand what needs to be done, and start solving problems from day one. |
|---|---|
| Tailored expertise |
Every strike team is built based on what you need. Maybe it’s animation polish, gameplay scripting, or final lighting work. Whatever the task, we bring together the right experts to get it done. |
| Cross-discipline collaboration |
Unlike traditional teams that work within one department, a strike team blends roles. This lets us tackle problems from every angle—technical, visual, and design-related—all at once. |
| Support without long-term headcount |
You don’t have to expand your full-time team. Strike teams provide the support you need, for as long as you need it, and then step back when the job is done. It’s a flexible way to boost your game development team without taking on more overhead. |
This cross-functional setup helps teams solve problems faster. Everyone involved understands the goal, shares ownership, and moves quickly without needing long onboarding or constant handovers.
When to Use a Strike Team
Strike teams can help at any point, but they shine in moments when timing and focus are critical. For example:
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You’re a few weeks from launch and a major feature still needs tuning -
A gameplay bug is blocking the next milestone
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You’re heading into console certification and need extra eyes on performance
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Your internal team is swamped and can't take on more
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One part of the game is "nearly finished" but needs polishing
In all these cases, a strike team can come in, take ownership, and solve the problem without sidetracking the rest of the game development team.
What Our Strike Teams Look Like
At Devoted Studios, we’ve built our service model around this concept. We support game studios by becoming the strike team they can rely on—an extension of their game development team.
Here’s how we work:
The result? You get focused progress where it matters most, without needing to manage another full-time team.
A Real Example of a Strike Team at Work
Let’s say a studio is preparing a new level for launch. The environment looks great, but the lighting isn’t consistent. QA starts flagging visibility issues. The internal lighting team is busy on another feature and can’t switch tasks without slowing things down.
That’s when we get called in.
We bring in our senior producer, a technical art director, and a QA specialist. The producer coordinates priorities and keeps communication clear, the technical art director reviews asset performance and visual consistency, and the QA specialist tests for any gameplay or visual issues. Together, they troubleshoot, adjust, and validate the fixes. The process stays fast, focused, and collaborative.
This is the kind of support that can turn stressful situations into smooth progress for any game development team.
Strike Teams Are Built for Today’s Game Industry
Games are getting more complex. Teams are more distributed. And production timelines are always shifting. Studios need partners who can jump in, solve problems, and make things happen without adding friction.
That’s what we do.
The need for flexible support is clearer than ever. According to the 2024 GDC Survey, 41% of game developers reported being affected by layoffs in the past year. One in ten were laid off themselves, with narrative roles hit the hardest at 19%. In a climate like this, studios are being asked to deliver high-quality games with fewer resources and more pressure.
Strike teams help fill that gap. At Devoted Studios, we take this approach even further.
We build custom strike teams based on exactly what your project needs. By blending top individual talent with specialized team structures, we create a workforce that adapts to your game, and not the other way around. This model gives studios access to skilled support without expanding full-time headcount.
Let’s Talk About Your Next Milestone
If your studio needs help getting a game across the finish line, handling last-minute challenges, or simply adding a burst of production power, we’re here to help.
We’re the strike team you can trust.
