Brazil's Gaming Industry Sees 3.2% Growth in 2023

In 2023, the Brazilian gaming industry experienced a 3.2% increase in the number of studios, rising from 1,009 in 2021 to 1,042. This growth is highlighted in the Second National Survey of the Game Industry, a collaborative effort between the Brazil Games export program, Abragames, and ApexBrazil, which gathered insights from 309 developers, 214 freelancers, and 80 organizations supporting game development and services. The survey, conducted between 2022 and 2023, reveals that the industry generated $251.6 million in revenue in 2022. Notably, digital platform sales grew from 54% in 2021 to 62% in 2022, while direct sales decreased from 30% to 23% during the same period. PC games led in revenue at 44%, followed by mobile at 23%, and console at 12%. The survey also found that between 2020 and 2022, over 2,600 proprietary games were developed, with more than 1,000 released in 2022 alone, marking a 12% increase from 2021. Furthermore, 93% of studios developed their own intellectual property. Despite significant layoffs in 2022 and 2023, an estimated 800 individuals began working in game development in Brazil in 2022, increasing the total workforce from 12,441 in 2021 to 13,225 in 2022. According to Rodrigo Terra, president of Abragames, 'The data reinforces Brazil's position as a promising region for external development services, meeting international demands with quality, particularly in artistic, engineering, and co-dev aspects.' Terra also noted that half of Brazilian developers operate in other markets, with over 70% of their revenue coming from abroad.