Hendrik Lesser has once again been chosen to lead the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) as its president, coinciding with the federation’s announcement of the new board that will serve from 2026 through 2028. The leadership change follows the departure of two prominent figures in the European gaming community: David Rabineau, chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, studio director at No Brakes Games, both of whom have stepped down from their board positions.
The freshly constituted EGDF board now comprises a diverse group of industry veterans and representatives from a range of national and regional gaming organisations: - **Martine Spaans** – Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association, bringing extensive experience in both studio operations and national advocacy. - **KooPee Hiltunen** – Director of the Neogames Finland Association, tasked with championing Finnish developers on the European stage. - **Per Strömbäck** – Board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, offering insight into cultural policy and regional economic development.
- **Hrvoje Mitic** – Head of Business Development at GamesCo., Secretary‑General of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founder of Splitscreen Croatia, providing a strong link to the burgeoning Balkan game ecosystem. - **Jakub Marszalkowski** – Head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation, known for his work in fostering indie talent across Central Europe.
- **Vanessa Kaplan** – Director General of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, representing the French video‑game sector and its extensive network of studios. Together, these six individuals will steer EGDF’s strategic agenda for the 2026‑2028 term. The federation has already outlined a clear set of priorities aimed at strengthening the European game development landscape. Central to its mission is the promise to provide developers with "a route to the top of the value chain," meaning that smaller studios and independent creators will receive more robust support to scale their operations, reach larger markets, and capture a greater share of the revenue generated by their products.
To achieve this, EGDF intends to focus on three interrelated pillars: 1. **Enhanced Access to Funding** – The federation plans to act as a conduit between developers and a variety of financing sources, including EU cultural funds, national grant programmes, and private investment. By simplifying application processes, offering mentorship on pitch preparation, and facilitating connections with venture capitalists who specialize in interactive media, EGDF hopes to lower the financial barriers that often prevent innovative projects from moving beyond the prototype stage.
2. **Talent Development and Skill Building** – Recognising that the industry’s growth is contingent on a skilled workforce, EGDF will launch a series of training initiatives, workshops, and mentorship schemes.
These will target both emerging talent—such as recent graduates from game‑design programmes—and seasoned professionals seeking to up‑skill in areas like advanced graphics programming, narrative design, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. Partnerships with universities, technical schools, and private training providers will be expanded to create a more cohesive talent pipeline across Europe.
3. **Improved Market Visibility and International Reach** – By promoting European games at major international trade fairs, digital showcases, and through coordinated media campaigns, EGDF aims to raise the global profile of European titles.
The federation will also work to negotiate better distribution terms with major platform holders and to support cross‑border collaborations that can open new markets for local studios. In a formal statement, EGDF underscored its commitment to monitoring the health of the European gaming ecosystem and to acting as a facilitator for collaboration among studios, publishers, and ancillary service providers.
"The EGDF will continue to monitor and facilitate the development of the European game industry ecosystem, strengthen its collaboration with European game development studios, and increase the European game industry's global visibility," the organization declared. Beyond these core objectives, EGDF is positioning itself at the forefront of technological innovation within the sector. The federation highlighted that the gaming industry is a leading adopter of artificial‑intelligence tools and that it intends to become "the first AI‑based European trade association." This ambition signals a strategic move to embed AI‑driven analytics, matchmaking, and content‑generation capabilities into the federation’s own operations, thereby offering member studios cutting‑edge resources for everything from automated testing to player‑behavior insights. The timing of these announcements coincides with the release of a significant industry report.
Earlier in the week, EGDF partnered with Video Games Europe (VGE) to publish the *European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024*. The report paints a picture of a thriving sector: in 2024, European game companies generated roughly €24 billion in revenue, a figure that reflects both the maturity of established studios and the rapid growth of indie developers. Moreover, the industry employed more than 95 000 individuals across over 6 600 studios, underscoring its importance as a major employer and economic driver within the continent. These statistics provide a quantitative backdrop for EGDF’s strategic plans.
The federation’s emphasis on funding, talent, and visibility is directly linked to sustaining and expanding this economic contribution. By ensuring that studios have the capital they need, that workers have the skills demanded by an evolving market, and that European games enjoy heightened exposure abroad, EGDF aims to preserve the upward trajectory demonstrated by the 2024 data. In summary, the re‑election of Hendrik Lesser and the introduction of a new, geographically diverse board signal continuity and renewal for the European Games Developer Federation. Their agenda—centered on financial accessibility, workforce development, market expansion, and AI integration—seeks to reinforce Europe’s position as a global hub for innovative, high‑quality video games.
As the sector continues to generate billions in turnover and provide tens of thousands of jobs, the federation’s proactive stance promises to nurture the ecosystem that underpins this success for years to come.