adminGerman games industry employment declined for a second consecutive year, even as the number of companies operating in the country increased. New figures also point to continued challenges for developers and publishers amid international consolidation and uncertainty around funding.
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German games industry employment and company numbers
The number of game developers and publishers in Germany rose by 4%, from 917 to 956. Employment at these companies, however, fell by 3% to 12,235. The figures show that business growth has not yet translated into higher staffing levels.
Development-only studios recorded the strongest increase, rising 6% to 474. Companies that both develop and publish games grew by 3%, while businesses focused exclusively on publishing increased by 2%.
These categories describe the companies counted in the industry figures. They should not be confused with the broader employment contribution of games-related activity: the German games industry supports more than 30,000 jobs across education, media, the public sector and retail.
What the figures say about the industry
The data was released by the German Games Industry Association (Game) and is based on gamesmap.de, a database recently rebuilt by Goldmedia. It now contains approximately 1,800 entries, including developers, publishers and other related companies.
The combination of more companies and fewer employees suggests that the sector remains under pressure despite the increase in business count. Company totals alone do not show how many people each business employs, so both measures are useful when assessing the industry’s direction.
For anyone comparing these figures with future reports, it is important to check that the same company categories and employment measures are being used. This helps distinguish changes in the dataset from changes in the industry itself.
Government support and industry outlook
Game has pointed to government support as one factor helping the sector withstand international consolidation. Measures include the expanded Federal Games Funding Programme, which recently awarded €8 million to Rockfish Games to develop the next Everspace game, and the “Press Start” start-up scholarship. The scholarship has supported the founding of 75 new game studios.
Game managing director Felix Falk described conditions for German games companies as challenging, noting that employment had fallen for a second year. He also called the increase in company numbers encouraging and said the announced introduction of tax-based games funding could support growth and strengthen Germany’s international competitiveness.
The figures therefore present a mixed picture: Germany has more game companies, but fewer people employed directly by developers and publishers. The broader outlook will depend in part on whether funding measures and new studio activity can support sustainable growth. For now, German games industry employment remains an important indicator to watch alongside company numbers and the wider 30,000-plus jobs supported across related sectors.
