Croatian gaming with never more employees, more and more bigger companies

A record number of employees, decentralization of income and the exceptional popularity of Croatian games on the global scene are the trends that characterized the Croatian video game industry in 2023, according to the latest research presented on Tuesday by the Cluster of Croatian Video Game Producers, conducted in cooperation with A1 Croatia.

Research shows that there were 532 employees in the Croatian game industry last year, the most ever, and it should be emphasized that these are full-time employees, and when the number of self-employed people in trades is added, that number rises to over 600. In comparison in 2019, the number of companies with more than ten employees doubled, and for the first time, the ten largest gaming companies did not generate the majority of the revenue of the national industry.

Photo: CGDA

The research also revealed that Croatian games enjoy exceptional popularity on a global level. Namely, among games that use the Steam platform, they were three times more common than titles produced by producers from other countries.

Photo: CGDA

In addition, it is also interesting to note that 68 percent of national manufacturers used artificial intelligence in the process of developing video games, which points to the fact that more and more studios rely on this technology.

– The data show that the Croatian gaming industry experienced a boom in the past year and became recognizable on the world stage. Currently, over 150 video games are being developed in Croatia, which is the result of the creativity of professionals, but also of continuous work and investment in technological innovations. We are particularly pleased with the fact that the market is developing evenly and is distributed among a large number of gaming studios, as this contributes to the long-term sustainable growth of the industry. In addition, the key fact is that 23 percent of the studies gave up financial opportunities that would have a potentially harmful impact on the games, such as gambling mechanisms and unfair advertising. This is a sign of a high level of professionalism and ethics, which are extremely important prerequisites for the quality development and future of the national video game production industry – said Aleksandar Gavrilovi, Secretary General of the Cluster of Croatian Video Game Producers and director of Gamechuck Studio.

Institutional support is extremely important in the growth of the national video game industry. The Law on Audiovisual Activities from 2018 defined the production of video games as an audiovisual activity and created a legal framework for its further development. Since then, the Ministry of Culture and HAVC have provided over one million euros in incentives to the Croatian gaming industry, and over one million euros in investments have come from the Creative Europe fund.

The prize fund is more than 42,000 euros

Photo: Marko Lopac

– When we at A1 Croatia started developing projects and providing support to the domestic gaming scene eight years ago, it was an industry that was in its infancy. We are extremely proud to have recognized its potential and contributed to its development into a global player. Being a part of that story means more than business success to us, because from the very beginning we have strived to achieve the ideal synergy between innovation and safety in gaming. That’s why our distinctive projects like A1 Adria League, A1 Student eChallenge and the #BoljiOnline platform are not only centers of innovation, entertainment and education, butć have become key in building a safer and more creative online world. Their exceptional popularity is evidenced by the fact that a record number of competitors, more than 3500, registered to participate in the 14th season of the A1 Adria League. Therefore, we continue to establish the domestic gaming industry and community and build the future together. A company that goes beyond the boundaries of entertainment and contributes to the creation of a digital world that inspires, connects and empowers – said Diana Svalina, senior specialist for marketing communications and events, A1 Croatia.

The group stage of the 14th season of the A1 Adria League and the 4th season of the A1 Student eChallenge is in full swing. Players will compete in popular titles such as CS2 and FC25, and the most skilled of them will win the finals, which will take place on the spectacular A1 stage in the Reboot InfoGamer powered by A1 festival program. And this year, more than 3,500 competitors registered in the Adria League.

Photo: Marko Lopac

Stižei the richest InfoGamer

– For the jubilee 10th edition of Reboot InfoGamer powered by A1, we have prepared a program that will be richer than ever before. On more than 10,000 m2, in four pavilions – 8a, 9, 11a, 10a, from November 14 to 17, visitors will be welcomed by over 100 various interesting exhibits. The emphasis will be on the finals of esports competitions, presenting the latest gaming trends and introducing visitors to popular video games. In cooperation with our partners from A1, we will provide a superb experience that will delight all video game fans, regardless of whether they are passionate gamers or just want to partially immerse themselves in the world of gaming. ” – said Damir Đurović, co-founderč and the director of the Reboot company and the organizer of the Reboot InfoGamer powered by A1 fair.