Hendrik Lesser has secured a second term as president of the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), coinciding with the federation’s announcement of its new board for the 2026‑2028 term. The leadership reshuffle also sees the departure of two prominent figures: David Rabineau, chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, studio director at No Brakes Games. Their exits make way for a refreshed roster of industry veterans and representatives from a broad spectrum of European gaming organisations.
The newly appointed board members are: - **Martine Spaans** – Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association. Spaans brings extensive experience in both studio operations and national industry advocacy, positioning her to bridge the gap between independent developers and larger market players.
- **KooPee Hiltunen** – Director of the Neogames Finland Association. Hiltunen’s background in Finnish game development networks equips the board with insight into one of Europe’s most innovative gaming ecosystems. - **Per Strömbäck** – Board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council.
His dual focus on cultural impact and regional economic development adds a nuanced perspective on how games can drive both artistic expression and economic growth. - **Hrvoje Mitic** – Head of Business Development at GamesCo., Secretary‑General of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founder of Splitscreen Croatia.
Mitic’s multifaceted role across business development, industry coordination, and event organization provides a comprehensive view of the Balkan gaming landscape. - **Jakub Marszalkowski** – Head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation. Marszalkowski’s experience in event curation and indie community building helps ensure that smaller studios receive a voice at the European level.
- **Vanessa Kaplan** – Director General of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo (SNJV). Kaplan represents the French gaming sector, one of the continent’s largest markets, and brings a strong background in policy advocacy and labour issues. Together, this diverse group is tasked with steering the EGDF through a period of rapid transformation in the European gaming sector. The federation has laid out a clear agenda for the next two years, emphasizing the creation of a "route to the top of the value chain" for developers.
In practical terms, this means facilitating smoother access to essential resources such as capital, skilled talent pools, and specialized training programs. By improving these pathways, the EGDF hopes to enable studios—whether emerging indie teams or established mid‑size firms—to scale their operations, increase their market reach, and ultimately capture a larger share of the global gaming economy. The organization’s public statement underscores several strategic priorities.
First, the EGDF will continue to monitor and support the evolution of the European game‑industry ecosystem, acting as a sentinel that tracks market trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements. Second, it aims to deepen collaboration with game development studios across the continent, fostering a networked community where best practices, resources, and opportunities are shared more freely. Third, the federation seeks to raise the global profile of European games, positioning the region as a hub of creativity, technical excellence, and cultural diversity. A particularly forward‑looking component of the EGDF’s plan is its ambition to become the first AI‑driven European trade association for the gaming sector.
Recognising that the game industry is often at the forefront of adopting artificial‑intelligence tools—ranging from procedural content generation to player‑behaviour analytics—the federation intends to embed AI into its own operational framework. This could involve using AI for data‑driven policy recommendations, automating member services, or providing AI‑enhanced matchmaking between developers and investors. By pioneering such an approach, the EGDF hopes to set a benchmark for how industry bodies can leverage emerging technologies to better serve their constituencies. In parallel with its internal strategic work, the EGDF recently collaborated with Video Games Europe (VGE) to release the "European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024." The report paints a robust picture of the continent’s gaming landscape: in 2024, European games generated a turnover of €24 billion, a figure that reflects both the sheer volume of consumer spending and the high value of export markets.
Moreover, the sector is supported by more than 6,600 studios, collectively employing over 95,000 individuals across a wide range of roles—from programming and art design to marketing, localisation, and community management. These numbers illustrate not only the economic weight of the industry but also its importance as a source of high‑skill employment and cultural output. The EGDF’s renewed leadership will need to address several challenges that accompany such growth.
Funding remains a critical hurdle for many developers, especially those seeking to move beyond the prototype stage into full‑scale production. The federation plans to work closely with national and EU‑level funding bodies, helping studios navigate grant applications, venture‑capital opportunities, and public‑private partnership models. Talent acquisition is another focal point; the EGDF intends to support educational initiatives, apprenticeships, and cross‑border mobility programmes that can alleviate skill shortages in areas such as AI integration, immersive technologies, and multilingual localisation. Skill development will also be a cornerstone of the EGDF’s agenda.
By organising workshops, webinars, and conferences—both physical and virtual—the federation aims to disseminate cutting‑edge knowledge on topics like sustainable game design, ethical AI use, and inclusive storytelling. These events will be designed to be accessible to developers of all sizes, ensuring that smaller studios can benefit from the same level of expertise traditionally reserved for larger publishers. In summary, the European Games Developer Federation is entering a new chapter under the continued leadership of Hendrik Lesser, backed by a board that reflects the continent’s geographic and professional diversity.
Their roadmap for 2026‑2028 emphasises enhanced access to financing, talent, and training, while also pioneering AI‑driven association management. Coupled with the promising economic indicators highlighted in the 2024 industry insights report, the EGDF’s initiatives aim to cement Europe’s position as a leading force in the global gaming arena, fostering innovation, competitiveness, and cultural richness for years to come.