What's going on with Freelance 3D Projects

One word: AI.

I still manage to snag a lone project (maybe 4 a year max) now and then, what the clients have told me is that the applications process is a nightmare. The responses are riddled with AI bots, so there are probably still only 20 humans amongst the 70 applications, do you want to read through 70 essays hoping you will find a human? And let's say you found a human, will they do the work, or will the product be AI generated?

CGTrader HQ gets hard at the thought of deleting the custom 3d section and just offering all the services themselves, they tried this already with wildcat, then when that didn't work, the prices for the freelancing went up, and if you think back, that was the beginning of the end. The only logic next step for CGTrader to save their own company is to train their own AI on all the models uploaded to their servers and have their own AI take every last penny. No more sales, no more freelance, just ask what you want and it generates it. It's coming, just wait.

At this stage your models on the internet serve one purpose: to train AI on how to replace you.

1 year ago, they sent message to everyone.

" In our commitment to supporting enhancements and ensuring the sustainability of this service, we are increasing the commission CGTrader receives from 5% to 15% for new jobs posted starting from May 20th (upon the successful completion of these new projects).

As we want to ensure that this ecosystem is sustainable in the long term, we are adjusting the commission structure to continue providing and improving this service as well as investing in platform improvements.

Investing in the Future: The increase from 5% to 15% is aimed at further developing CGTrader platform and enhancing the quality of its services, ensuring long-term benefits for the designer community.
Possible Increase in Job Requests: To generate more opportunities, we will run additional promotional campaigns targeting CGTrader buyers.
Backend Improvements: Our investment in technology aims to ensure smoother processing and enhanced functionality.

We believe these changes are crucial for the continued growth and enhancement of the Freelance 3D Projects service.
Your hard work and creativity are vital to CGTrader's success, and we are dedicated to reinvesting in the platform to provide you with the best possible working environment.
We want to assure you that this decision was made with careful consideration of its impact on our community and the long-term benefits it will bring."

Yes There has been a significant drop in visibility and sales, even though the model quality remains high. I believe this is mainly due to the intense competition in the 3D design market, which has become increasingly saturated with models of all kinds