The International Game Developers Association’s Incubation Special Interest Group (SIG) is preparing to unveil a landmark study at this year’s Gamescom, offering the first comprehensive, global snapshot of the incubator and accelerator landscape that nurtures emerging game studios. The unveiling, scheduled for the SIG’s dedicated meetup during the convention, will present data gathered from a broad cross‑section of industry professionals who manage or lead these supportive programs.
In total, 84 individuals representing incubation and acceleration initiatives from continents spanning North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific, Africa, and Latin America responded to the SIG’s questionnaire. Their insights form the backbone of a detailed census that maps out who is providing these services, the models they employ, and the obstacles they encounter in fostering new talent.
By aggregating this information, the SIG hopes to illuminate trends, identify gaps, and ultimately strengthen the ecosystem that underpins early‑stage game development. "Incubators and accelerators have become pivotal in shaping the modern games industry, yet we have lacked a clear, data‑driven picture of the ecosystem itself," explained Dr.
Pedro Santoro Zambon, a leading researcher on the project. "This census is our attempt to chart who is doing the work, how they are structuring their programmes, and what challenges they face on a day‑to‑day basis." The presentation will open with remarks from Chairperson Sho Sato, who will provide an overview of the SIG’s recent activities, including ongoing outreach, mentorship initiatives, and policy advocacy aimed at bolstering support structures for fledgling studios.
Sato will also outline future research directions and invite attendees to contribute to a living database that can evolve alongside the industry. Following Sato, Linn Søvig, who leads the European chapter of the Incubation SIG, will discuss the importance of cross‑border collaboration among developer‑support organisations. Søvig will highlight successful partnerships between European incubators, such as those in Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and will propose frameworks for sharing resources, best‑practice curricula, and funding mechanisms with counterparts in other regions. Her talk will underscore how international cooperation can reduce duplication of effort and expand opportunities for studios that might otherwise be confined to local markets.
A particularly compelling segment of the program will feature Vee Pendergrast, Industry Development Manager at New Zealand’s Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE). Pendergrast will share CODE’s targeted strategies for uplifting Indigenous creators, focusing on Māori and Pasifika developers. She will describe mentorship schemes, culturally‑responsive curriculum design, and grant programmes that respect traditional knowledge while encouraging innovative game concepts rooted in Indigenous storytelling.
Her insights aim to demonstrate how incubators can tailor support to under‑represented communities, fostering diversity not only in the workforce but also in the narratives and aesthetics of games produced. The final speaker, veteran games industry figure Jason Della Rocca, will explore the concept of "inception publishing." This emerging model proposes that publishers engage with studios at the earliest stages of development, offering guidance on sustainable business practices, IP management, and long‑term growth strategies rather than merely providing funding for a finished product.
Della Rocca will argue that such an approach can empower creators to retain ownership of their intellectual property while still benefitting from the expertise and market reach of established publishers. Beyond the individual presentations, the census itself reveals several noteworthy patterns.
For instance, a majority of programmes now operate on a hybrid model that blends physical co‑working spaces with virtual mentorship, reflecting the industry’s shift toward remote collaboration. Funding sources remain diverse, with many incubators receiving a mix of government grants, private investment, and revenue‑share agreements with partner publishers.
However, respondents also highlighted recurring challenges: securing consistent financing, measuring long‑term impact, and navigating regulatory environments that differ dramatically across jurisdictions. The SIG’s findings suggest that while the global network of game incubators and accelerators is expanding rapidly, there is still considerable room for standardisation of metrics and increased transparency. By publishing this census, the IGDA hopes to catalyse conversations among policymakers, investors, and educational institutions about how best to sustain and scale these vital support structures. Attendees at Gamescom will have the opportunity to review the full report, ask questions of the research team, and contribute additional data points that could refine future editions of the census.
The SIG encourages anyone involved in nurturing early‑stage game development—whether through funding, mentorship, technical assistance, or community building—to join the dialogue and help shape a more inclusive, data‑informed future for the industry. In summary, the IGDA Incubation SIG’s debut global census represents a significant step toward mapping the complex web of organisations that champion nascent game studios. By shedding light on who is operating these programmes, how they function, and where they encounter obstacles, the study provides a foundation for more coordinated, effective support for the next generation of game creators worldwide.