New Zealand Game Development Industry Surpasses $1 Billion in Revenue
With $1.002 Billion in Revenue and a Near-Doubling of Government ROI, Even as Workforce Contracts Slightly
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — 01 October, 2026
The New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA) today announced landmark results from its 2026 annual survey, confirming that the nation's game development industry has broken through the $1 billion revenue mark for the first time, two years ahead of the industry's original target.
Industry revenue for the 2025/2026 financial year reached NZD 1,002 million, a 32.0% increase over the previous year's NZD 759 million. This continues a remarkable run of growth that has consistently and dramatically outpaced the low single-digit growth forecast for the global games industry.
Export demand remains the backbone of this success: 95% of revenue (NZD 947 million) came from international consumer sales, up from 93% the previous year, reaffirming New Zealand's place among the world's most export-driven creative industries.
Unlike previous years, the industry's workforce did not grow in step with revenue. Total FTE headcount sat at 1,261, down 11.1% from 1,418 the year prior. “This decline was not a sign of a broader slowdown, but the result of two isolated events: the closure of one studio, and another studio's decision to to focus on a screen specific project” says Executive Director Joy Keene. Set against continued strong revenue and export growth, the wider industry's underlying trajectory remains firmly upward: in fact, revenue per FTE grew 48.5%, from NZD 535,204 to NZD 794,607, underscoring just how high-value these roles have become.
The survey also highlights the industry's outsized fiscal contribution. Companies reported more than NZD 213 million in combined income tax and PAYE contributions, close to double last year's figure, equating to an estimated return of NZD 9.73 for every dollar invested through the Government's Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR) programme, more than double the NZD 4.74 return recorded the previous year.
NZGDA will be releasing further in-depth insights from the 2026 survey in the coming weeks.
For additional information, please contact:
Joy Keene
Executive Director of NZGDA
joy@nzgda.com
