The European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) has confirmed that Hendrik Lesser will continue at the helm as its president, following his re‑election during the unveiling of the federation’s 2026‑2028 governing board. Lesser’s continued leadership comes at a pivotal moment for the European games sector, as the organization prepares to roll out a strategic plan that emphasizes stronger industry connections, increased financial support, and a focus on talent cultivation across the continent. Two notable departures were announced alongside the new board line‑up.
David Rabineau, the chief executive of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, director of the No Brakes Games studio, have stepped down from their previous EGDF roles. Their exits make room for a fresh cohort of representatives drawn from a diverse range of national associations, development studios, and industry advocacy groups.
The freshly appointed board members are: - **Martine Spaans** – Chief Operating Officer of Fourth Moon Games and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association. Spaans brings a blend of operational expertise and deep knowledge of the Dutch gaming ecosystem. - **KooPee Hiltunen** – Director of the Neogames Finland Association, offering insight into the Nordic development landscape and its growing export potential.
- **Per Strömbäck** – Board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, providing a cultural‑policy perspective that links gaming with broader creative industries. - **Hrvoje Mitic** – Head of Business Development at GamesCo., Secretary‑General of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founder of Splitscreen Croatia, combining commercial acumen with regional advocacy.
- **Jakub Marszalkowski** – Head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation, representing the indie sector and event‑driven networking. - **Vanessa Kaplan** – Director General of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, bringing French market experience and a strong background in labor and regulatory issues. Collectively, this board reflects EGDF’s intention to cover a broad geographic and functional spectrum, ensuring that the federation’s initiatives are informed by voices from both large‑scale publishers and smaller independent studios.
### Strategic Priorities for 2026‑2028 In its public statement, EGDF outlined a clear agenda for the forthcoming two‑year period. Central to this agenda is the promise to provide developers with "a route to the top of the value chain," meaning that creators should have clearer, more direct pathways from concept to market success. The federation plans to achieve this by: 1.
**Improving Access to Funding** – Working closely with national and EU‑level grant programmes, venture capital networks, and public‑private partnerships to make capital more reachable for studios at every stage of growth. 2. **Enhancing Talent Pipelines** – Partnering with educational institutions, apprenticeship schemes, and mentorship programmes to nurture the next generation of designers, programmers, artists, and producers. 3.
**Boosting Skills Development** – Offering workshops, certifications, and knowledge‑sharing platforms that focus on emerging technologies, best‑practice production methods, and cross‑border collaboration techniques. The federation also reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring the health of the European game‑development ecosystem. By acting as a liaison between policymakers, investors, and creators, EGDF aims to strengthen cooperation among European studios and raise the global profile of the continent’s output.
This includes lobbying for favorable regulatory environments, advocating for fair taxation, and promoting European titles at major international events. ### AI as a Strategic Frontier A particularly forward‑looking element of EGDF’s roadmap is its ambition to become the first AI‑centric European trade association within the gaming sector.
Recognizing that the industry is at the forefront of adopting artificial‑intelligence tools—ranging from procedural content generation to player‑behavior analytics—the federation intends to spearhead standards, ethical guidelines, and shared research initiatives. By doing so, EGDF hopes to position Europe as a leader in responsible AI integration, ensuring that developers can leverage these technologies while safeguarding creative integrity and consumer trust. ### Industry Context: 2024 Insights Earlier in the week, EGDF collaborated with Video Games Europe (VGE) to release the "European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024." The report paints a robust picture of the market: European game companies generated approximately €24 billion in revenue in 2024, a figure that underscores the sector’s economic significance.
Moreover, the industry employed more than 95 000 individuals across over 6 600 studios, highlighting its role as a major employer and a driver of creative talent. These statistics provide a solid foundation for EGDF’s upcoming initiatives. With a sizable economic footprint, the federation argues that enhanced funding mechanisms, talent development programs, and AI‑focused strategies are not just aspirational but necessary to sustain growth and competitiveness on the world stage. ### Looking Ahead As the new board settles into its roles, stakeholders can expect a series of concrete actions: the launch of a pan‑European funding portal, the rollout of a mentorship network linking seasoned veterans with emerging indie teams, and the establishment of an AI‑ethics working group that will produce guidelines for responsible use of machine‑learning tools in game design.
In addition, EGDF plans to host a series of regional summits and workshops aimed at fostering cross‑border collaboration, sharing best practices, and showcasing European talent to global audiences. In summary, the re‑election of Hendrik Lesser and the appointment of a diverse, experienced board signal a period of proactive engagement for the European Games Developer Federation.
By concentrating on financing, skill development, and the strategic integration of AI, EGDF aims to reinforce Europe’s position as a vibrant, innovative hub for video‑game creation, ensuring that developers of all sizes can thrive and that the continent’s cultural output continues to resonate worldwide.