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 simultaneously revealed the composition of its governing board for the 2026‑2028 period. The announcement also noted the departure of two prominent figures: David Rabineau, chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, director of the studio No Brakes Games, both of whom have stepped away from their board responsibilities.
The newly constituted EGDF board now brings together a diverse group of industry veterans and representatives from a range of European gaming bodies. The lineup includes: - **Martine Spaans**, who serves as chief operating officer at Fourth Moon Games and also holds the position of general manager at the Dutch Games Association. Her dual roles give her insight into both studio operations and national industry advocacy.
- **KooPee Hiltunen**, director of the Neogames Finland Association, bringing a strong Finnish perspective on indie development, education, and cross‑border collaboration. - **Per Strömbäck**, a board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and a member of the Stockholm Region Business Council, whose experience bridges cultural policy and commercial strategy. - **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 business growth expertise and regional network building. - **Jakub Marszalkowski**, head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation, known for championing indie creators and organizing large‑scale industry events.
- **Vanessa Kaplan**, director general of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, representing French developers and advocating for policy measures that support creative talent. Together, this board is tasked with steering EGDF’s strategic agenda for the forthcoming two‑year cycle. Central to that agenda is the promise to provide developers with "a route to the top of the value chain," a phrase that encapsulates the federation’s ambition to help studios move beyond basic production and into higher‑margin activities such as publishing, IP ownership, and global distribution. To achieve this, EGDF plans to enhance three core pillars: access to financing, talent pipelines, and skill development programs.
**Funding Access** The federation intends to act as a liaison between game studios and a variety of financial sources, including EU cultural funds, national grant schemes, and private investment networks. By creating a more transparent and streamlined application process, EGDF hopes to reduce the administrative burden that often deters smaller studios from seeking capital. In practice, this could involve the development of a centralized portal where developers can submit proposals, receive feedback, and track the status of funding applications in real time. Additionally, the board plans to host matchmaking events that bring together investors and developers, fostering relationships that can lead to seed rounds, series‑A financing, or co‑development deals.
**Talent and Skills** Addressing the talent shortage that many European studios cite as a growth constraint, EGDF will roll out a series of initiatives aimed at both education and workforce mobility. Partnerships with universities, technical schools, and vocational training centers are on the agenda, with the goal of aligning curricula with the specific needs of modern game development—ranging from programming and art production to user‑experience design and live‑ops management. Moreover, the federation intends to launch a pan‑European apprenticeship scheme, enabling aspiring developers to gain hands‑on experience across borders, thereby enriching the talent pool and encouraging cultural exchange. **Skill Development** Beyond formal education, EGDF recognizes the importance of continuous professional development.
To that end, the organization will expand its portfolio of workshops, webinars, and certification programs covering emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and, notably, artificial intelligence. The federation has explicitly positioned AI as a strategic focus, proclaiming its ambition to become the first AI‑driven European trade association. This vision entails integrating AI‑based tools into the federation’s internal processes—such as using machine‑learning algorithms to analyze market trends, predict funding success rates, and personalize learning pathways for members. The federation’s public statements underscore its broader mission: to monitor and facilitate the evolution of Europe’s game industry ecosystem, deepen collaboration with studios across the continent, and raise the global profile of European games.
By strengthening ties with national associations, cultural ministries, and private sector partners, EGDF aims to create a unified front that can advocate for favorable regulatory environments, protect intellectual property rights, and promote the cultural value of games as an artistic medium. In a related development, EGDF and Video Games Europe (VGE) recently released the *European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024*. The report provides a snapshot of the sector’s economic impact, revealing that the European games market generated approximately €24 billion in turnover during 2024.
The industry comprises more than 6,600 studios, employing upwards of 95,000 individuals across a wide array of roles—from design and programming to marketing and community management. These figures highlight both the scale and the growth potential of the European gaming landscape, reinforcing the need for coordinated support mechanisms such as those EGDF proposes. Looking ahead, the newly elected board members will convene regularly to assess progress against their strategic objectives, adjust initiatives based on feedback from member studios, and ensure that the federation remains responsive to rapid technological changes.
Their collective expertise—spanning business development, cultural policy, event organization, and national association leadership—positions them to address the complex challenges facing developers today, from funding scarcity to talent gaps and the integration of AI into creative workflows. In summary, the re‑election of Hendrik Lesser and the formation of a refreshed, multi‑national board signal a renewed commitment by the European Games Developer Federation to champion the interests of game creators throughout the continent. By focusing on funding accessibility, talent cultivation, and skill enhancement—while also pioneering AI‑driven association practices—EGDF aims to empower European studios to ascend the value chain, compete on a global stage, and contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of the region’s interactive entertainment sector.