The European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) has confirmed its leadership lineup for the 2026‑2028 term, with Hendrik Lesser once again securing the presidency. Lesser’s re‑election underscores continuity at the helm of an organization that is positioning itself as a central advocate for game creators across the continent.
Two notable departures were announced alongside the new board roster: David Rabineau, the chief executive of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, director of the No Brakes Games studio, have both stepped down from their previous EGDF roles. Their exits make way for a refreshed group of industry veterans and emerging voices who will steer the federation’s agenda through the next two‑year cycle.
The freshly appointed board members are: - **Martine Spaans** – Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association. Spaans brings a blend of operational expertise and policy experience from the Netherlands’ vibrant indie scene. - **KooPee Hiltunen** – Director of the Neogames Finland Association, representing a nation renowned for its strong educational pipelines and a high density of successful studios.
- **Per Strömbäck** – Board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, offering insight into the cultural and economic impact of games in Sweden. - **Hrvoje Mitic** – Head of Business Development at GamesCo., Secretary‑General of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founder of Splitscreen Croatia, providing a strategic perspective from the Balkans and a track record of fostering cross‑border collaborations.
- **Jakub Marszalkowski** – Head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation, adding deep knowledge of event organization and indie ecosystem support. - **Vanessa Kaplan** – Director General of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, representing French developers and championing policy initiatives at the national level. Collectively, this board blends operational leadership, regional representation, and advocacy experience, positioning EGDF to address the multifaceted challenges facing European developers.
**Strategic Priorities for 2026‑2028** The federation has laid out a clear, two‑year roadmap that centers on three core pillars: enhancing developers’ access to funding, expanding talent pipelines, and strengthening skill development programs. By describing its mission as providing "a route to the top of the value chain," EGDF signals its intent to help studios move beyond early‑stage development into higher‑margin activities such as publishing, live‑ops, and international distribution. 1.
**Funding Access** – EGDF plans to act as a conduit between creators and a growing pool of public and private investment sources. This includes lobbying for more robust national grant schemes, facilitating introductions to venture capital firms that specialize in interactive entertainment, and creating a shared repository of financing opportunities that developers can tap into regardless of size or location.
2. **Talent and Skills** – Recognising the acute shortage of qualified professionals in areas like AI‑driven game design, real‑time rendering, and live‑service management, the federation will partner with universities, vocational schools, and industry training providers. Initiatives will range from apprenticeship programmes and mentorship schemes to continent‑wide hackathons aimed at up‑skilling emerging talent. 3.
**Ecosystem Visibility** – To raise the profile of European games on the global stage, EGDF will amplify its communications strategy, showcase success stories at major trade shows, and produce data‑driven insights that highlight the sector’s economic contribution. The organization also intends to strengthen ties with other European trade bodies, ensuring a unified voice in policy discussions at the EU level. A particularly forward‑looking element of the agenda is the federation’s ambition to become the first AI‑centric European trade association for games. As artificial intelligence reshapes everything from procedural content generation to player analytics, EGDF aims to set standards, share best practices, and advocate for responsible AI use within the industry.
This goal reflects the broader trend of games acting as a testbed for emerging technologies, and the federation wants to ensure European developers are at the forefront of that innovation wave. **Recent Industry Context** The board’s strategic focus arrives at a pivotal moment for the European market.
Earlier this week, EGDF collaborated with Video Games Europe (VGE) to release the European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024. The report paints a picture of robust growth: the continent’s games sector generated €24 billion in turnover during 2024, a figure that underscores its significance as a major economic driver. Moreover, the industry now comprises more than 6,600 studios employing over 95,000 individuals across a diverse range of roles—from programmers and artists to marketers and community managers.
These numbers illustrate not only the sector’s scale but also its potential for further expansion, especially as new revenue models—such as subscription services, cloud gaming, and live‑ops monetisation—gain traction. EGDF’s emphasis on funding and skill development is designed to help studios capitalize on these emerging opportunities and to ensure that Europe remains competitive against North American and Asian markets.
**Looking Ahead** With Hendrik Lesser at the helm once again, the federation is poised to build on the momentum generated by recent industry successes. The newly appointed board members bring a wealth of regional insight and operational expertise that should enable EGDF to deliver on its promises of better financing routes, stronger talent pipelines, and a more visible European presence on the world stage. By championing AI integration and fostering cross‑border collaboration, the organization aims to future‑proof the European games ecosystem and secure its place as a leader in both creative and technological innovation.