Hendrik Lesser has once again been chosen to lead the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), securing a second term as its president while the organization introduced its new board for the 2026‑2028 period. The announcement also noted the departure of two prominent members: David Rabineau, chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, director of the No Brakes Games studio, both of whom have stepped down from their board positions. The refreshed EGDF board now brings together a diverse group of industry veterans and representatives from key European gaming bodies.
The lineup includes: - **Martine Spaans**, who serves as Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and also holds the role of general manager for the Dutch Games Association. Her dual experience in studio operations and national association leadership equips her to bridge the gap between creators and policymakers.
- **KooPee Hiltunen**, director of the Neogames Finland Association, a body that advocates for Finnish developers and promotes the country’s vibrant indie scene. - **Per Strömbäck**, a board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and a participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, bringing insight into cultural initiatives 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, offering a blend of commercial strategy and community building across the Balkans. - **Jakub Marszalkowski**, who leads the Games Industry Conference and co‑founded the Indie Games Poland Foundation, where he also serves on the board, providing a platform for Polish indie creators to gain international exposure. - **Vanessa Kaplan**, director general of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, representing the French video‑game sector and its extensive network of studios and publishers.
Collectively, this board reflects a pan‑European perspective, drawing on expertise from the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Croatia, Poland, and France. Their combined experience spans studio management, association governance, cultural advocacy, and conference organization, positioning the EGDF to address a broad spectrum of industry challenges. Looking ahead, the EGDF has laid out a strategic agenda that centers on three core pillars: elevating developers along the value chain, broadening access to financial resources, and strengthening the talent pipeline. The federation’s leadership emphasized that the next two years will be dedicated to creating clearer pathways for studios—especially smaller and independent teams—to move from early‑stage development to higher‑value activities such as publishing, distribution, and international market penetration.
By facilitating connections with investors, grant programs, and venture capital networks, EGDF aims to reduce the funding gap that many European developers face when trying to scale their projects. In addition to financial support, the organization plans to launch a series of skill‑building initiatives. These will include mentorship schemes pairing emerging studios with seasoned industry veterans, workshops on emerging technologies (including virtual reality, augmented reality, and cloud‑based game services), and educational partnerships with universities and vocational schools across Europe. The goal is to ensure that the European talent pool remains competitive on a global stage, equipped with both creative and technical competencies.
"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 federation stated in its official release. This commitment underscores a proactive stance: not only observing market trends but actively shaping them through policy advocacy, joint research, and cross‑border collaboration.
A particularly forward‑looking element of the EGDF’s roadmap is its ambition to become the first AI‑focused European trade association within the gaming sector. Recognizing that the game industry often serves as an early adopter of artificial‑intelligence tools—ranging from procedural content generation to player‑behavior analytics—the federation intends to spearhead the integration of AI best practices, ethical guidelines, and standards across its member base.
By doing so, EGDF hopes to position Europe as a leader in responsible AI deployment for interactive entertainment. The timing of these announcements coincides with the recent publication of the European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024, a joint effort by EGDF and Video Games Europe (VGE). The report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the continent’s gaming economy, revealing that European developers generated a turnover of €24 billion in 2024.
Moreover, the sector comprises more than 6,600 studios employing upwards of 95,000 individuals, underscoring its significance as a major economic driver and source of high‑skill jobs. These figures highlight both the opportunities and the responsibilities facing the industry.
With such a sizable workforce and revenue base, European games developers are well‑positioned to influence global trends, yet they also require robust support structures to navigate regulatory changes, market fluctuations, and technological disruptions. The EGDF’s renewed board and strategic focus aim to provide that scaffolding, ensuring that developers can thrive domestically while expanding their reach internationally. In summary, the European Games Developer Federation has entered a new leadership era under the continued presidency of Hendrik Lesser, supported by a refreshed board representing a wide swath of the continent’s gaming landscape.
Their agenda—centered on funding access, talent development, AI integration, and heightened global visibility—seeks to reinforce Europe’s standing as a vibrant, innovative, and sustainable hub for video‑game creation. The federation’s initiatives, coupled with the robust economic data from the 2024 industry report, paint an optimistic picture for the future of European game development, promising growth, collaboration, and continued creative excellence for years to come.