Small Studios Offer 'Design Equity Pools' to Compete for Senior Talent

Gaming · 4 min read

To compete with larger firms' generous stock packages, many small studios have introduced design equity pools where a portion of company equity is reserved for the design organization. This allows studios to offer meaningful upside while keeping the mechanics manageable for multiple hires.

The pools are often structured with clear vesting milestones tied to team-level performance like successful feature launches or revenue-linked KPIs. Candidates appreciate the clarity and the potential upside without the need for immediate one-to-one negotiations over percent ownership.

Design leaders considering this model should create transparent allocation criteria and communication about dilution scenarios. Candidates should ask about pool size, refresh policies, and historical distributions to understand real upside.