More companies, fewer employees – Germany’s games industry is recovering only slowly

More companies, fewer employees: Germany’s games industry is recovering only slowly

•      Following last year’s decline, the number of games companies in Germany is growing again, albeit modestly
•      Employee numbers have fallen once again
•      ‘Amid the global wave of market consolidation, Germany is holding up better than many other countries – thanks in particular to the expanded Federal Games Funding Programme and the ‘Press Start’ start-up scholarship.’
•      Relaunch of gamesmap.de – the most comprehensive and up-to-date database of the German games industry

Germany’s games industry is recovering only slowly from the effects of the international wave of consolidation and the uncertainty surrounding games funding prior to 2025. After the number of games companies and their employees fell last year for the first time in a long while, the situation has only partially improved over the past 12 months. The number of companies has risen again, albeit modestly, from 917 to 956 – an increase of 4 per cent. Employee numbers, however, have fallen once more. Games developers and publishers most recently employed 12,235 people, a decrease of 3 per cent. Taken as a whole, the games industry continues to support more than 30,000 jobs in Germany. In addition to development and publishing, these include professionals working in educational institutions, the media, the public sector and retail. These figures were released  by game – The German Games Industry Association, based on data from gamesmap.de compiled in partnership with Goldmedia.

‘The situation for Germany’s games companies remains challenging – and nowhere is that clearer than in the employee figures, which have now fallen for the second year in a row,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘The rising number of companies, on the other hand, is an encouraging sign. Amid the global wave of market consolidation, Germany is holding up better than many other countries – thanks in particular to the expanded Federal Games Funding Programme and the ‘Press Start’ start-up scholarship. With these measures, and the announced introduction of tax-based games funding, the federal government is setting important growth impulses and strengthening Germany’s international competitiveness in the crucial future industry of games.’

Growth is strongest among development-only studios, which increased by 6 per cent to 474 companies. The number of companies that both develop and publish games increased by 3 per cent to 427, while the number of publishing-only companies grew by 2 per cent to 55 companies. This rise marks a reversal of the recent trend. Following the introduction of the nationwide Federal Games Funding Programme in 2020, Germany initially saw a surge in new companies: within four years, the number of games companies grew by more than 50 per cent. That momentum steadily weakened, culminating in a 4 per cent decline in 2025. This trend is now reversing. Despite the global consolidation, more reliable funding conditions under the new federal government and the first-ever round of the ‘Press Start’ start-up scholarship have made this possible. Supported by the scholarship programme, 75 new games studios have been founded in Germany.

Relaunch of gamesmap.de

gamesmap.de is the most comprehensive and up-to-date database of the German games industry. Both the user interface and the underlying database have been rebuilt from the ground up by Goldmedia on behalf of game. The map of Germany features around 1,800 entries, including developers and publishers as well as companies working in related fields such as media, technical and business services, and educational institutions with a games focus. This allows for in-depth analyses of the German games industry, as well as targeted searches for individual companies. The database is continuously maintained to reflect the German games industry as accurately as possible: every entry relating to companies in the core market is updated at least once a year. Companies can also update and add to their own entries, resulting in an unrivalled level of data quality for the German games industry.

gamesmap provides the basis for numerous statistical analyses of the German games industry. It also underpins the study ‘The Games Industry in Germany 2025’, which was supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. gamesmap is an offering of game – The German Games Industry Association in partnership with Goldmedia.

About the market data

The data is based on an analysis conducted by Goldmedia, using listings on gamesmap.de, on behalf of game – The German Games Industry Association, as of March 31, 2026.

Please note: The preparation of the study ‘The Games Industry in Germany 2025’, published jointly with the Federal Ministry of Research in January 2026, made it possible to expand the gamesmap database. This improved data feeds into the current figures on companies and employees. As a result, and in the interest of comparability, the figures for 2025 have been retrospectively adjusted by Goldmedia. This is why the figures communicated last year do not match those communicated now.

game – The German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members represent the entire video game ecosystem, from development studios and publishers to esports event organisers, educational institutions and other related entities. We are co-organisers of gamescom, the world’s biggest event for video games. We are a shareholder in the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK), the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, the esports player foundation, game events and the collecting society VHG, as well as co-host of the German Computer Game Awards. Serving as a central point of contact for media, as well as political and social institutions, we provide comprehensive expertise in areas including market development, game culture and media literacy, and address any inquiries or concerns. Together we are making Germany the heart of gaming worldwide. With games, we enrich the lives of all people.