The Spanish videogame industry levels up. The industry employed 10,259 people, up 10%, and generated a turnover of 1.43 billion in 2023, 3.1% more compared with 2022. Overall, the sector comprises 815 active studios in 2024, 495 constituted as legal entities, all of which target the 22 million gamers in the country. Nonetheless, the sector calls for more public funds and fiscal incentives to maintain momentum as the sector faces soaring production costs.
The existing companies are also more consolidated, as seven out of ten companies have been established for more than five years. These figures appear in the eleventh edition of the White Paper on Spanish Video Game Development published by DEV.
Catalonia remains the leading Spanish region for video games, accounting for over half (53%) of revenue and exactly half the employees; furthermore, the region hosts almost a third of all studios (32%). The Madrid region follows with 23%, Andalusia with 13%, and the Valencian Community with 10%.
Most studios (54 per cent) generate less than 200,000 euros per year, whereas just 2% exceed 50 million euros in turnover. These larger entities concentrate 49% of total employment. Female representation in the workforce stands at 26%.
Balanced domestic and international demand
Domestic sales still represent a significant portion of revenue, with Spain accounting for 44% of all the sales. International markets now contribute 56%, with Europe at 26% and North America at 22%. All digital business models combined account for 54% of studios’ revenue; premium digital sales remain the principal source at 41%, followed by service sales at 20% and work-for-hire projects at 16%.
In terms of activity, almost nine out of the studios (88%) develop their own IP. Self-publishing is undertaken by 55%, and 42% work for third parties. Of the 24% of studios that create games categorised as “serious”, four out of five (81%) are for the educational sector.
The principal platforms utilised are PC and Steam (89%), followed by Android (52%) and Nintendo Switch (49%).
Sector burdened by high costs
Financial concerns persist, as 39% of studios require between 50,000 and 150,000 euros to launch their next project, and 83% say they would be at risk if the current sector crisis continues.
Additionally, studios have called for fiscal incentives, asserting that a tax deduction for investment in videogame development projects (like the UK one) could quadruple sector turnover and double quality employment. They urge public administrations to maintain and expand support programmes initiated under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and to create new funding lines. They also request that distributors based in Spain commit to investing voluntarily in national production.
The White Paper also addressed generative artificial intelligence: 54% incorporate it into daily operations, whereas 14% prohibit its use.
The government’s ‘Spain, Audiovisual Hub of Europe’ initiative, launched in 2021, has supported over fifty promotional actions, extending the industry’s reach to the United States, Europe and Asia. The government is studying financing tickets of at least 500,000 euros and offering loans and direct equity investments, though it excludes subsidies on the basis that mature industries should operate with profitable business plans.
Regional initiatives such as Madrid in Game, the Audiovisual Hub of Murcia and the second season of the Plan Escena Audiovisual Hub further strengthen the sector.
“We have a resilient, internationalized sector with qualified and young employment, one that is flexible and adapts to change,” highlights Pablo Conde, director at The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, at the White Paper presentation.
