but like will it be easier for me to get

[stray oak]

(figured this could turn into a discussion so a thread may be easier) Yes and no, it really depends who your trying to work for - if you want to join a AAA company, then you would likely need a degree, as most online registration systems have "bias" in filtering applicants, and if you have a portfolio + a related computer science degree, and your applying as a programmer, you are less likely to get filtered in the first phase (and theres usually many phases so thats not a guaranteed thing), but the role matters too, for an artist they probably dont need a CompSci degree but some relevant digital art degree can help

If your looking at pretty much any other company, then a portfolio shows you know more about what your doing than a degree would, that doesnt mean if you get interviewed they may still ask about your schooling, so it kind of depends, id say in most cases, it doesnt really matter as long as you can show you can do the job without a degree (by having a strong portfolio of completed games and projects that clearly outline your contribution and skills in those projects), and most devs I know dont have degrees or work as freelancers or run their own studio

[grim whale]

Thank you for your answer. I'm a 16 year old high school student from Sweden and wasn't really sure if I need a degree. The thing is im in a "game dev school" if you can say so. Basically it means I have the required subjects by the government + programming & digital creation(unity). I'm in my 1st year and already have a lot of knowledge about it so maybe I could convince my teacher so I can learn about the more advanced stuff.

[stray oak]

Sweden sounds nice, I would say if your already in school, it is certainly worth completing it and getting your degree, as having one can help more than not, just be sure to not include school projects on your portfolio, to employers, its always better to see personal project than school assignments, a "game dev" course is a good additional for a resume as well, and if you have some prior experience with programming and game dev, the first year will likely feel unchallenging, my course was 3 years and by 2nd half of second year the challenge started to pick up, though id agree to take the time to form good questions to ask your professors/teachers about the industry if they have experience in it, but keep in mind school follows a curriculum, so they may only be able to do do so much that they can actually mark for a grade for you, outside of extra curricular activities, sadly there isnt too much internships in game dev that I know of, at least in my country, there may be more in yours, so it may be worth looking around as well at local and public classifieds, that could be a resource you could ask your teachers about

On the note of a portfolio as well, I would suggest to try and pick up at least 1 side project you can do outside of classes, and build on as you learn in school, if you end up completing it before you graduate even better, but having at least 1 - 3 projects you can demonstrate specific skills in (for example, if you want to step into game design having a game you designed from scratch with relevant documentation like a GDD can be good - if you want to step into gameplay/systems programming, having a demo with interesting game mechanics can be good - if you want to step into art, having a environment or character showreel etc can be good), depending on what areas of game dev interest you - if your course is a 3+ year program, they may cover portfolios, the first year of most courses are moreso an "introduction" so the work isnt overly complicated having going in with some experience, but trust me, it will get more difficult as your semesters go on

[grim whale]

Thank you sooo much. Ill definitely take your advice and do my best.

[grim whale]

And btw when would you recommend one to start writing a portfolio?

[stray oak]

Personally I think its always good to progressively work on one and I also feel like portfolios are one of those things that are never "complete" since you always learn more and work on new things, some never see the light of day, others are cool demos of what you can do, others show off stuff you recently learned, and a few may be completed projects, similar to a resume, it changes over time, and while its not required, having a website or using a common one like ArtStation, WordPress, etc can help stand out a bit - that said, the "best" time would likely be when you have projects to add to it, that may end up being while you are still in school, or after completing school, and activities outside of school can help as well such as game jams, collabs, contract work, etc

[grim whale]

Okay I understand, thank you. Last question im actually thinking about dropping out/switching to esport since school requires alot of my energy and instead I can fully focus on game development.

[stray oak]

Thats a personal choice only you can make, what I mentioned is just advice from my personal experience and experience from school, my suggestion would be to continue with your program as school provides valuable opportunities, networking with others, and depending on school sometimes resources outside the class, though your circumstances may be different than mine and its up to you how you want to spend your time

School does require a lot of energy, pretty much any work does, even hobbies, and when you turn a hobby like making games for fun into something that has to pay bills, it becomes work as well, and work in general, is exhausting and unfun - the choice is yours though, no one including myself can say what decision would be right or wrong for you

And just my personal opinion, I never liked the word "drop out" (though it does make it clear what you mean, im just speaking in general), it sounds so negative, when most of the time, people who dont finish school are often shifting focus toward other things, sometimes those things work out, other times it doesnt, though everyones different in that regard

[grim whale]

Yes I know that it gives me that but about 70% of my time is wasted on irrelevant subjects

Tbh the only reason im staying rn is because i have programming classes 2 days a week

ngl ive been slacking a bit on going to school but yeah ill do as you said and go to school and on the weekends i can work on my side projects in unity