European Games Developer Federation Unveils 2026‑28 Leadership Team, Re‑elects Hendrik Lesser as President

The European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) has officially announced the composition of its new board for the 2026‑2028 term, confirming that Hendrik Lesser has been re‑elected to continue serving as the organisation’s president. Lesser’s renewed mandate comes at a pivotal moment for the European gaming sector, as the federation prepares to roll out a strategic plan that seeks to strengthen the industry’s position both within Europe and on the global stage.

Two notable departures were highlighted in the announcement. David Rabineau, the chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, the studio director at No Brakes Games, have stepped down from their previous roles within the EGDF board. Their exits make way for a refreshed roster of industry leaders who bring a blend of operational expertise, policy experience, and creative insight.

The newly formed board now includes the following members: - **Martine Spaans** – Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association. Spaans is recognised for her work in nurturing Dutch game development talent and for fostering cross‑border collaborations across the Benelux region.

- **KooPee Hiltunen** – Director of the Neogames Finland Association, where she has been instrumental in advocating for Finnish studios and securing public funding for innovative projects. - **Per Strömbäck** – Board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, bringing a strong focus on cultural policy and the economic impact of games in Scandinavia.

- **Hrvoje Mitic** – Head of Business Development at GamesCo., Secretary‑General of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founder of Splitscreen Croatia. Mitic’s background spans business development, regional networking, and the promotion of Croatia as a rising hub for interactive entertainment.

- **Jakub Marszalkowski** – Head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation, known for championing indie developers and organizing high‑profile industry events. - **Vanessa Kaplan** – Director General of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo (SNJV), the French national video‑game union, where she has been a vocal advocate for creators’ rights and sustainable funding models.

Collectively, this board is tasked with steering EGDF’s agenda for the next two years. The federation’s stated priorities centre on creating a clear "route to the top of the value chain" for European developers.

In practice, this means facilitating smoother pathways from concept and prototype stages to full commercial release, and ensuring that studios—whether small indie teams or mid‑size enterprises—have the resources they need to scale up. Key pillars of the EGDF’s upcoming programme include: 1.

**Enhanced Access to Funding** – The federation will work closely with national governments, EU bodies, and private investors to expand grant programmes, tax‑incentive schemes, and venture‑capital pipelines. By mapping existing funding sources and identifying gaps, EGDF aims to simplify the application process for developers and increase the total amount of capital flowing into European projects.

2. **Talent Development and Skills Training** – Recognising the rapid evolution of technology, EGDF plans to launch a series of educational initiatives. These will range from short‑term bootcamps on emerging tools such as real‑time ray tracing and procedural generation, to longer academic partnerships that embed game‑design curricula in universities across the continent. The goal is to cultivate a pipeline of skilled professionals who can meet the demands of both traditional development and new frontier areas like immersive XR experiences.

3. **Industry Visibility and Market Promotion** – To boost the global profile of European games, the federation will coordinate joint marketing campaigns, participation in major trade shows, and the creation of a unified brand that highlights the region’s diversity and innovation. By aggregating data on sales, player demographics, and export performance, EGDF hopes to provide a compelling narrative for international partners and media. 4.

**AI Integration and Ethical Standards** – The statement from EGDF underscores the sector’s leadership role in artificial‑intelligence research and application. The federation has set an ambitious target to become the first AI‑focused European trade association. This will involve establishing best‑practice guidelines for AI‑driven content creation, ensuring transparency in algorithmic decision‑making, and advocating for responsible use of AI in areas such as procedural content generation, player‑behavior analytics, and accessibility tools. In addition to its internal initiatives, EGDF recently collaborated with Video Games Europe (VGE) to release the "European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024." The report provides a snapshot of the market’s health, revealing that the European games industry generated approximately €24 billion in turnover during 2024.

The sector is supported by more than 6,600 studios, which together employ over 95,000 individuals across a wide range of roles—from programmers and artists to marketing specialists and community managers. These figures illustrate both the economic significance and the employment potential of the industry, reinforcing the need for continued advocacy and strategic support. By leveraging the data from the insights report, EGDF intends to pinpoint growth opportunities, such as expanding into emerging markets in Asia and South America, and to address challenges like talent shortages in specialised technical fields. The federation’s broader vision is to cultivate an ecosystem where European developers can compete on equal footing with their North American and Asian counterparts.

This involves not only financial and educational support but also fostering a collaborative culture that encourages knowledge‑sharing, joint research projects, and cross‑border co‑development. As the board settles into its new term, members are expected to convene regularly with stakeholders—including studio founders, policy makers, academic institutions, and technology providers—to refine action plans and measure progress against defined milestones. The re‑election of Hendrik Lesser provides continuity in leadership, while the infusion of fresh perspectives from the new board members promises innovative approaches to longstanding industry challenges. In summary, the European Games Developer Federation is positioning itself as a catalyst for growth, aiming to make Europe a premier destination for game creation, investment, and talent.

By focusing on funding access, skill development, global visibility, and responsible AI adoption, the organization seeks to empower developers to climb the value chain, reach wider audiences, and ultimately contribute to a vibrant, sustainable gaming economy across the continent.