German Government Invests Over €266 Million in Game Development Over Seven Years

Over the past seven years, the German government has allocated over a quarter of a billion euros to support video game development. According to calculations by the portal GamesWirtschaft, authorities have invested €266.98 million into the creation of 701 games since a support program launched in 2019. The initiative started as a pilot phase before becoming officially established, providing millions of euros in subsidies to local developers and publishers.

Funding distribution shows that almost half of the total amount went to just 25 companies and their subsidiaries. The largest recipient is publisher Kalypso Media, which raised over €19 million for projects including Tropico 7, Dungeons 4, and Commandos: Origins. The top five most funded companies include THQ Nordic with €13.51 million, Rockfish Games with €10.17 million, King Art with €9.46 million, and Ubisoft with €9.28 million.

Subsidies in Germany are scaled based on the budget of the game and the size of the company. Large studios can receive funding that covers up to 25 percent of their production costs. Meanwhile, young independent teams can receive enough financial backing to cover up to 50 percent of their development expenses. The German government aims to use these financial measures to increase the competitiveness of the country within the global gaming market.