The Brazil Games export program, in partnership with Abragames and ApexBrasil, conducted the Second National Survey of Brazil’s Games Industry, revealing a 3.2% growth in the number of game studios in Brazil to 1,042 in 2023. The industry also saw a 6.3% increase in employment, with 13,225 people working in game development.
Among the key findings, it was noted that most game studios are located in São Paulo, with 302 companies, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 107, and Rio Grande do Sul with 69. Regionally, the majority of studios are in the South East, accounting for 56% of the total, followed by the South with 20%, North East with 16%, Mid West with 6%, and the North with 2%.
From 2020 to 2022, local developers released over 2,600 games, with 93% of studios developing their own IPs. Additionally, the report highlighted a shift towards licensing IPs, as 13% of studios licensed their own IPs and 10% licensed third-party products (down from 18% in 2021).
While PC and mobile game development remain popular, the production of console games has been steadily increasing, reaching 19% in 2022, and handheld console production doubling to 4%.
Market estimates indicate that Brazil’s game developers generated $251.6 million in revenue in 2022. The revenue sources included sales via digital platforms (62%), direct sales (23%), microtransactions (20%), and advertising (16%). PC games contributed the most revenue at 44%, followed by mobile at 23% and consoles at 12%.
Speaking on the survey findings, Abragames president Rodrigo Terra highlighted Brazil’s growing reputation in providing External Development services, with half of Brazilian developers operating in international markets and generating over 70% of their revenues from various countries.
The full report of the Second National Survey of Brazil’s Games Industry can be accessed here.
