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Recap: Road to Polaris 2022
The Polaris Convention, held in Hamburg from October 28 to 30, 2022, served as a new regional platform for gaming, e-sports, and Asian pop culture.
- The inaugural Polaris Convention in Hamburg (October 28–30, 2022) attracted approximately 10,000 visitors and hosted 150 exhibitors across gaming, e-sports, and Asian pop culture sectors.
- Gamecity Hamburg’s 'Road to Polaris' program provided a free joint booth for five local indie studios: OneManOnMars, Impawsible Games, Beardshaker Games, Curvature Games, and Radioactive Dreams.
- A dedicated networking event, Gamecity Treff, held at the Grüner Jäger music club, drew over 250 industry professionals to foster regional community growth.
Senator's Roundtable 2023: Hamburg
The Senator’s Roundtable 2023 serves as a strategic forum designed to foster collaboration between Hamburg’s municipal government and the local games industry.
- The Senator’s Roundtable 2023, held on February 3 in Hamburg, serves as a formal mechanism for aligning municipal policy with the operational needs of the local games industry.
- The event convened key industry stakeholders including InnoGames, Bigpoint, Fishlabs, Square Enix, Rocket Beans Entertainment, Twitch, and Razer to facilitate public-private dialogue.
- Hamburg’s government utilizes this forum to refine support structures, such as dedicated funding programs and incubator initiatives, to maintain the city's competitive status as a gaming hub.
Hamburg Games Conference: 5 Things to Do in the City
The primary purpose of this guide is to enhance the visitor experience for attendees of the Hamburg Games Conference by highlighting local cultural and professional opportunities within the city.
- Attendees of the 2024 Hamburg Games Conference can access a 20% discount code for event tickets through this guide.
- The guide promotes cross-event registration for the German Creative Economy Summit, which runs concurrently with the conference.
- Visitors are encouraged to visit the Miniatur Wunderland exhibition as a primary cultural attraction in the city.
Goodbye Gamecity Hamburg Online Hub
The Gamecity Hamburg Online Hub, a virtual platform established in May 2021, has officially concluded its operations.
- The Gamecity Hamburg Online Hub, a virtual networking platform launched in May 2021 to support the industry during the pandemic, has officially ceased operations.
- The platform functioned as a browser-based interactive game developed by Super Crowd Entertainment, utilizing the same technology as the Indie Arena Booth Online.
- The hub served a community of approximately 60 local companies, providing a digital space for networking, exhibitions, and industry events.
Osmotic Studios Released Their Third Title: Closer the Distance
Hamburg-based indie developer Osmotic Studios, known for the narrative-driven Orwell series, released its third title, Closer the Distance, on August 2, 2024.
- Osmotic Studios released its third title, 'Closer the Distance,' on August 2, 2024, marking a strategic shift from dystopian themes to a slice-of-life simulation focused on grief and human connection.
- The project was supported by prototype funding from Creative Europe MEDIA and the German government’s computer game funding program, with Skybound Games serving as the publisher for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
- Development evolved from an initial time-loop puzzle concept into a real-time simulation, allowing players to influence characters from an afterlife perspective to better facilitate multi-perspective storytelling.
Application Start for Creative Europe: Video Games and Immersive Content Development
Creative Europe has opened its application window for funding dedicated to the development of narrative video games and immersive interactive content.
- Creative Europe is offering a total budget of 7 million euros to support the development of narrative video games and immersive interactive content.
- Individual grants cover up to 60% of eligible project costs, with a maximum funding cap of 200,000 euros per project.
- Applicants must be European companies with a primary focus on games, audiovisual content, or XR, and must have released at least one commercially exploited project internationally since January 1, 2021.
German Creative Economy Summit 2025: Program Highlights
The German Creative Economy Summit 2025, scheduled for March 5 and 6 in Hamburg, serves as a premier national gathering for the creative industries.
- The German Creative Economy Summit 2025 will take place on March 5 and 6 at the Kampnagel venue in Hamburg.
- The summit program focuses on cross-sector collaboration, digital trends, and the intersection of technology, sustainability, and creative business practices.
- Key sessions include an analysis of the German internet landscape, specifically addressing current marketing challenges and digital trends.
Senator's Roundtable: Hamburg
The Senator’s Roundtable, held on February 5, 2026, at Hamburg City Hall, served as a strategic forum for aligning local government policy with the needs of the regional games industry.
- Hamburg’s government and industry leaders met on February 5, 2026, to align regional policy with the operational needs of local game companies.
- Industry stakeholders identified the implementation of the EU’s Digital Fairness Act and the establishment of competitive tax credits as critical priorities for maintaining the region's market position.
- Gamecity Hamburg will launch a new CEO Meetup format in 2026 to expand networking and strengthen the local development ecosystem.
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Frontier Developments’ 2024 fiscal year was defined by a strategic reset aimed at restoring long-term financial stability following a period of performance volatility.
- Frontier plans to release three self-published CMS (Creative Management Simulation) games in the next three consecutive financial years: Planet Coaster 2 in autumn 2024 (FY25), a new Jurassic World game in FY26, and a third unannounced CMS game in FY27.
- Frontier reported a loss before taxation of £28.425 million for the 12 months ending May 31, 2024, an increase from £26.509 million in the previous year.
- Net cashflows from operating activities decreased to £31.625 million in FY24 from £47.875 million in FY23, while net cashflows used in investing activities improved to (£27.868 million) from (£52.310 million).
FY25 Trading Update: Strong Results and Increased Momentum
Frontier Developments plc reports a modest revenue rise to £90.6 million for FY25, up from £89.3 million in FY24, driven by a 25% year-on-year increase in its Creative Management Simulation (CMS) titles.
- Frontier Developments achieved a significant increase in profitability, with projected Adjusted EBITDA rising to £8–£9 million from £0.9 million in FY24.
- Revenue grew to £90.6 million, driven by a 25% year-on-year increase in Creative Management Simulation (CMS) titles, which now account for 77% of total revenue.
- The launch of Planet Coaster 2 catalyzed a nearly 200% revenue increase for the Planet Coaster franchise.
Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Frontier Developments’ 2025 annual report details a successful financial turnaround, characterized by a return to profitability and a strengthened balance sheet.
- Frontier Developments PLC achieved significant profitability and cash generation uplift in FY25, driven by a sharpened focus on CMS (Content Management System) games and a sustainable cost base.
- Revenue increased year-on-year in FY25, and gross profit rose to £63.3 million (up from £61.3 million in FY24), with an improved gross margin of 70% (up from 69% in FY24) due to a greater share of own-IP game revenue.
- Elite Dangerous, a long-standing space exploration title outside the CMS portfolio, saw 76% year-on-year revenue growth in FY25, supported by new content and increased player engagement.
FY25 Financial Results: Creating Momentum
Frontier Developments achieved a comprehensive financial turnaround in fiscal year 2025, shifting from significant losses in the prior period to a robust operating profit of £12.7 million.
- Frontier Developments plc reported a significant financial turnaround in FY25 (ended May 31, 2025), moving from an operating loss of £28.4 million in FY24 to an operating profit of £12.7 million. Adjusted Operating Profit also substantially increased to £13.2 million from £4.6 million in FY24.
- Revenue saw a slight increase to £90.6 million in FY25 from £89.3 million in FY24, while the cash balance at year-end grew significantly to £42.5 million from £29.5 million.
- The improved financial performance was largely driven by a 42% reduction in total operating expenditure, which fell to £54.6 million in FY25 from £94.6 million in FY24, primarily due to a £28.2 million decrease in amortisation and impairment charges.