The International Game Developers Association’s Incubation Special Interest Group (SIG) is preparing to unveil a landmark study at this week’s Gamescom 2026 event—a comprehensive, first‑ever global census of game incubation and accelerator programmes. This ambitious undertaking seeks to furnish the video‑game sector with a clear, data‑driven snapshot of the myriad organisations that nurture fledgling studios, offering insight into their structures, methodologies, and the obstacles they encounter. The research draws upon the responses of 84 senior figures—directors, managers and founders—who oversee incubation and acceleration initiatives in regions spanning North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific, Latin America and Africa.
By aggregating perspectives from such a diverse pool of participants, the census aims to map the full breadth of the support ecosystem that has become increasingly vital to the development pipeline. The findings will be disclosed for the first time during the IGDA Incubation SIG’s dedicated Gamescom meetup, providing attendees with a rare opportunity to engage directly with the data and its implications. "Incubators and accelerators have grown into essential pillars of the games industry, yet we have lacked a coherent view of the ecosystem that underpins them," explained Dr.
Pedro Santoro Zambon, a leading researcher on the project. "This census is our attempt to identify who is delivering these services, how they are structured, and what challenges they face on a day‑to‑day basis." The session will open with remarks from Chairperson Sho Sato, who will outline recent developments within the SIG, including new collaborative frameworks and upcoming research initiatives. Following Sato, Linn Søvig, who heads the European chapter of the SIG, will discuss the importance of cross‑border cooperation among developer‑support organisations.
Søvig will highlight case studies where European incubators have partnered with counterparts in other continents to share best practices, pool resources, and co‑create programmes that address shared industry pain points such as funding scarcity, talent retention, and market access. A key portion of the programme will feature Vee Pendergrast, the industry development manager at New Zealand’s Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE). Pendergrast will delve into targeted strategies for uplifting Indigenous creators and other historically under‑represented groups.
She will describe CODE’s collaborative projects with Māori and Pasifika developers, illustrating how culturally‑responsive mentorship, community‑led funding models, and localized curriculum design can foster sustainable growth for these communities while enriching the broader creative landscape. Veteran game‑industry figure Jason Della Rocca will close the lineup with a presentation on "inception publishing." This emerging concept advocates for early‑stage studios receiving not only capital, but also strategic guidance on business fundamentals, intellectual‑property stewardship, and long‑term sustainability.
Della Rocca will argue that by embedding publishing expertise at the inception phase, developers can retain greater control over their IP, avoid common pitfalls associated with rapid scaling, and build resilient companies capable of navigating the volatile market dynamics that typify modern game production. Beyond the individual talks, the census itself offers a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data. Respondents provided information on programme size, funding sources, selection criteria, mentorship models, success metrics, and the geographic distribution of supported studios. Preliminary analysis reveals several notable trends: a steady increase in public‑sector involvement, a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion, and an expanding focus on emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and blockchain‑based gaming experiences.
Additionally, many incubators reported challenges related to limited access to experienced business mentors and difficulties in securing follow‑on investment for graduate studios. The IGDA Incubation SIG hopes that the release of this census will serve as a catalyst for deeper dialogue among stakeholders—developers, investors, educators, and policy makers alike. By shedding light on the current state of incubation and acceleration, the group aims to identify gaps in support, inspire new collaborative models, and ultimately strengthen the pipeline that brings innovative games from concept to market. Attendees at Gamescom will have the chance to explore the findings in detail during a dedicated exhibition space, where interactive visualisations will illustrate regional distributions, programme outcomes, and emerging best practices.
The SIG also plans to publish a full report later in the year, making the data publicly accessible for researchers and practitioners seeking to benchmark their own initiatives or to design new support mechanisms. In summary, the IGDA Incubation SIG’s upcoming presentation marks a pivotal moment for the industry: the first systematic, data‑driven portrait of the global network of game incubators and accelerators. By documenting who is doing what, how they are doing it, and where obstacles remain, the census provides a foundation for informed decision‑making and collaborative growth, ensuring that the next generation of game creators receives the robust, inclusive support they need to thrive.