Hello everyone!

I've got a question: What is the best way to get into the game industry with my background?

I've been stressing about this for a couple of weeks now, and everytime I think I have found the perfect solution.

Okay let me tell you a bit about my background.

I'm 23, live in the Netherlands and I just received my Vocational Degree in Game Programming. The course was mostly about Unity, Scrum and some core programming stuff. I used my free time to work on a wide variety of projects. I taught myself Python, PHP, SQL, ASP.NET, Node.JS and more. Currently I'm learning C++.
I enjoy programming games because it is challenging and rewarding. I worked in teams ( During school but also after school ) of programmers and artists.

Now I have to decide whether I want to pursue a Bsc degree or if I want to get a job.
Right now I have two vocational degrees, One in IT and one in Game Programming.
My degree in IT is my safety rope, but if I want to get a bachelor's degree that would mean I have to abandon that safety rope because I will be overqualified for most jobs.
I got a degree in IT because that is something I also really enjoy doing ( Service desk stuff, helping people. )
If I would decide to abandon the idea of becoming a game programmer then I would pursue a career in IT to become a System Administrator. But like I said, getting a bachelor means giving up on that safety rope because I would become overqualified.

Currently I’m able to join a course for game programming at University A or join a course in software engineering at University B.

University A has teachers who actually worked in the game industry, some of which have worked at a AAA studio. There I’ll learn stuff like graphics programming, 3D Mathematics, engine programming but also stuff like console programming. University A claims that almost all graduates land a job in the game industry and the small percentage who don’t start their own indie studio. I tried to confirm this claim by looking up alumni on linkedin and I still have mixed feelings about their claim. They do not accept everyone though, it’s hard to get accepted.

University B is more general, their teachers have either just graduated and started teaching immediately or have worked in the professional field for a couple of years and started teaching after that. and the course is something you can expect from other software engineering courses.

I have found a couple of job openings at a couple of indie studio’s that completely match my background. But because I want to eventually get into a AAA game studio I’m not sure if this will be the right choice because that means I won’t have a bachelor's degree if I chose this route.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on how to get into a AAA company and get mixed answers, some people say: “Your degree does not matter, your portfolio does” and some people say: “Employers prefer someone with at least a computer science degree and a portfolio over someone with no bachelors degree at all”

I also have read a lot about people saying that you shouldn’t get a Bachelor major in game programming because that will make it harder to get a software development job outside of the game industry and employers will still favor someone with a computer science major because they have more in depth knowledge.

At this very moment I have a couple of options available:
1. Abandon the safety rope and go all in on getting a Bachelor’s degree.
2. Get a job at an indie studio that works with Unity and teach myself C++ on the side and do more freelance projects and make games using C++ and other engines.
3. Get a job in IT and do the same on the side as in option 2.

I already knew It would be quite challenging to get into the game industry, what caught me of guard is the fact that you need to have a bachelor's degree to be able to land a job as a software developer ( some AAA studio’s require it and most software development companies like FAANG require it. )

It’s a lot of text, and I understand there is no straight answer to this. But at this moment because there are so many options I just don’t know what to do anymore.
Money is not an issue, the only thing I’m worried about is not having a safety rope/net and my age ( Yes, I know I’m young but if I go to University it would mean I will be 27 when I graduate and want to land my first full time job )

I appreciate any help!
Thanks in advance! :)

Well, first things first, the two most known game engines are Unity and Unreal, one is written in c#, the other c++.

It's best if you have a kind of portfolio, like a voice actor and his voice reel to showcase his abilities.

I would strongly recommend having a look at the devlog for a game called “Road to Vostok” on YouTube, the person behind the game and his story, as well as progress, is quite remarkable.

There is no golden ticket into the game industry, you can watch some documentaries on indie game designers, their stories surely will provide some insight.

Now as for a Bachelor's degree, it is a door knocker or a basic requirement for certain positions, further education will affect future career trajectory.

However, it seems to me that you haven't taken the plunge to get your feet wet. Now, mind you, I am not the sorts who believe in “Either swim or sink”, some sort of guidance should be provided.

It seems like you would dedicate yourself to becoming a programmer, but there are different roles in the industry, unless you are going indie solo, networking and interpersonal skills are going to be essential, especially in a triple-A studio.

You really should try your hands at some game jams first, it is totally understandable that you want to aim as high as possible, by getting into AAA, though it wouldn't hurt to take one step at a time.

Use Linkedin, Indeed or Fiverr, post your resume and talk to HR and potential customers and employers. Digital nomad and remote work are a thing.

You need to truly get your feet wet, not being an armchair traveller, daydreaming of what's to come.

Not going to speculate whether a company would hire you without a degree, but I can say for sure that a degree in computer science would teach you skills that would be hard to acquire through other means. I think that's the key to a CS degree, not the piece of paper you get at the end.

Regarding your possible options, option A sounds like it would teach you more valuable skills from what you've explained. You say option B teaches you software engineering. Does that mean it doesn't teach you computer science but rather just programming and software engineering practices (teamwork, refactoring, architecture etc)? If that's the case, those things are actually more suitable to learn once you get a job or work on side projects. Not that those things are easier to learn, but they are more practical in nature and practical things are easier to learn in the real world whereas theoretical subjects are more suitable to a classroom.

I don't think your backup plan makes much sense. First I doubt you could be overqualified for many IT jobs. Secondly a system administrator is not necessarily more employable than a games programmer, and certainly not more employable than a programmer outside of games. So I think if you have an interest in programming/CS you would be shooting yourself in the foot by picking a “safe” option that is actually no more safe than the other option (and probably a lot more boring if you like problem solving).