Brazilian games industry grew by 3.2% in 2023

The number of studios in the Brazilian games industry grew by 3.2% in 2023, from 1,009 studios in 2021 to 1,042 in 2023.

This is according to the Second National Survey of the Game Industry, conducted by the Brazil Games export program in partnership between Abragames and ApexBrazil, which surveyed 309 developers, 214 freelance professionals, and 80 digital game service and development support organisations.

From the data compiled between 2022 and 2023, the study found that revenue generated by Brazil's games industry was $251.6 million in 2022.

The sale of games via digital platforms increased from 54% in 2021 to 62% in 2022, while direct sales decreased from 30% to 23% over the same period. PC generated the highest revenue at 44%, followed by mobile at 23% and console at 12%.

In terms of games developed during this period, the number of proprietary games made between 2020 and 2022 reached 2,600, with just over 1,000 released in 2022 – a 12% increase compared to 2021. The survey also found that 93% of studios developed their own IP.

Despite a significant number of layoffs during 2022 and 2023, it's estimated that nearly 800 people started working in game development in Brazil in 2022, raising the total number of workers from 12,441 in 2021 to 13,225 in 2022.

"The data presented in the second edition of the survey also reinforces Brazil's position as one of the most promising regions for providing external development services, as had already been indicated in the reports of the XDS Summit, a global reference subject," said president of Abragames Rodrigo Terra.

"The work done by Brazilians has been meeting international demands with quality and standing out, among other aspects, for artistic, engineering, and co-dev issues. As a result, we have half of Brazilian developers operating in other markets with more than 70% of their revenues coming from various countries."

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox