Polish Game Development Industry Experiences First Workforce Reduction and Revenue Decline

The Polish game development industry is facing significant challenges, according to a recent report titled The Game Industry of Poland - Report 2025 released by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The country currently counts 824 studios operating locally, employing 14,600 specialists. Despite ranking among the top three largest gaming industries in Europe, trailing behind the United Kingdom and France, the sector has recorded a decline in key economic metrics.

For the first time in history, the local industry experienced a reduction in total employment, dropping from 15,300 to 14,500 people, while 120 studios exited the market. Annual revenue from Polish gaming products fell from 6 billion to 5.5 billion zloty. Based on the average annual exchange rate of the zloty to the dollar, this represents a drop from $1.51 billion in 2024 to $1.46 billion in 2025. Exports continue to drive the sector, accounting for 97 percent of its revenue.

Analysts point to several factors behind the downturn. A global crisis has made investors and publishers much more cautious, leaving access to capital strictly limited. Consequently, development teams have shifted focus toward smaller-scale projects and abandoned ambitious goals, prioritizing the completion of already initiated titles. Furthermore, the number of Polish projects among the most anticipated games on Steam has dropped. While Poland previously led globally with 38 games in the top 200 in 2021, that number fell to 12 by 2025, pushing the country from first to eighth position.

Additional pressures include the conclusion of most national industry support programs in late December 2023, which reduced government subsidies. The stock market has also presented hurdles, with exchange-listed companies incurring expenses with minimal returns. In 2025, shares of 24 gaming companies traded on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, while another 71 companies remained listed on the NewConnect platform.