Report

Brazilian Gaming Industry Report 2023

1 March 2024171 pages10,518 words

Summary

The Brazilian gaming industry represents a rapidly maturing ecosystem that defied global trends in 2022, growing by 3% to reach 103 million players while the international market experienced its first contraction. With 1,042 active studios as of 2023—a 177% increase over five years—the sector is primarily composed of micro and small enterprises concentrated in the Southeast and South regions. Despite this expansion, local studio revenue accounts for only 10% of domestic consumption, highlighting a significant gap between local production and the country’s status as the world’s fifth-largest online gaming population. Development trends show a shift toward multi-platform strategies, with computers and mobile devices serving as the primary targets for the 1,009 games produced in 2022. While 93% of studios develop proprietary intellectual property, there is a burgeoning reliance on international markets; 65% of studios active abroad derive more than half of their revenue from exports. Furthermore, the industry has seen a 62% surge in outsourcing services, particularly in 3D art and animation, signaling a transition toward high-value service provision for the global entertainment sector. The workforce expanded to over 13,000 professionals in 2022, characterized by a 70% remote work rate and an increasing focus on administrative roles that suggest greater corporate maturity. However, the industry faces persistent structural and social challenges. The lack of a specific national economic classification complicates data collection, while diversity remains a critical area for improvement. Women represent only 24.3% of the workforce, and minority groups remain underrepresented. While external initiatives and diversity councils aim to foster inclusivity, 82% of companies still lack formal internal inclusion policies, indicating that the sector’s social evolution has yet to match its rapid economic and technical acceleration.

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Brazil Games Industry Report 2022

Brazil has established itself as the preeminent games market in Latin America and the 12th largest globally, generating approximately USD 2.3 billion in 2021. The ecosystem is defined by rapid professionalization and internationalization, evidenced by a 102% increase in active studios since 2018. With over 1,000 companies and a workforce exceeding 12,000 professionals, the industry has transitioned from a historical period of informality to a sophisticated hub for original intellectual property and high-quality external development services. While the Southeast and South regions remain the primary geographic hubs, the sector’s reach is global, with over half of local companies serving international markets, particularly in the United States and Europe. The industry demonstrates increasing maturity through longer studio lifespans and a shift toward diverse platforms. While mobile and PC development remain dominant, console production grew significantly to 17% of the market by 2021. Beyond entertainment, Brazilian studios maintain a strong presence in educational and corporate gamification. Despite this growth, structural challenges persist, including a lack of formal inclusion policies for underrepresented groups and a "wage war" for senior talent driven by the rise of remote work for foreign firms. Furthermore, the workforce is navigating a transition where 93% of companies now focus on proprietary IP, moving away from a pure service-provider model. Economic and regulatory hurdles continue to shape the landscape. Federal funding has reached historic lows, forcing a reliance on founder capital and state-level initiatives. Developers face significant "legal insecurity" due to the absence of a specific regulatory category for games and a tax system that treats development hardware as luxury entertainment rather than capital goods. Nevertheless, the resilience of the sector is underscored by a 336% revenue increase in USD since 2015 and the emergence of "unicorns" like Wildlife. The industry remains a vital component of the global value chain, increasingly recognized for its technical proficiency in engines like Unity and its expanding role in emerging technologies such as blockchain and the metaverse.

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**Fact Sheet 2023 – Brazil Game Industry – Executive Summary** Below is a concise synthesis of the most relevant data, trends and insights from the 2023 Fact Sheet (compiled July 2023) on the Brazilian games sector. All figures refer to the 2022‑2023 survey period unless otherwise noted. --- ## 1. Macro‑economic context | Indicator | 2022 | 2023 (survey) | |-----------|------|---------------| | **Growth of the sector** | +3 % (contrasting with a 4,3 % global decline) | Continued modest growth; Brazil remains one of the few markets expanding year‑on‑year. | | **International revenue share** | 70 % of studios earn > 50 % of their turnover abroad | 58 % of studios now sell internationally; 10 % have permanent reps or PR offices overseas. | | **Key export markets** | United States (58 %), Latin America (57 %), Western Europe (54 %) | Same hierarchy, with a noticeable rise in Western‑European share (from 49 % to 54 %). | --- ## 2. Industry structure & geography | Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | **Active development studios (2022)** | **≈ 1 042** (↑ ~ 2 % YoY) | | **Studios > 10 yr old** | 17 % | | **Studios < 2 yr old** | 19 % | | **Formalised studios** | 85 % (63 % of the non‑formalised plan to formalise within 2 yr) | | **Regional distribution** | Southeast 58 % (dominant hub), South 20 % (‑1 % YoY), Northeast 15 % (+1 % YoY), Center‑West 6 %, North 2 % (‑1 % YoY) | | **Unlocated studios** | 222 (data gaps) | *Implication:* The sector is highly concentrated in the Southeast, but growth is emerging in the Northeast and other regions, driven by remote‑work adoption and expanding local education programs. --- ## 3. Internationalisation & market exposure * **Export activity:** 58 % of surveyed studios reported sales abroad in 2022. * **Foreign representation:** 10 % maintain a dedicated overseas representative or PR office. * **International business exposure (2022 vs 2023):** * Visitor/Listener at foreign events – 33 % → 39 % * Exhibitor/Presenter – 17 % → 14 % * Commercial missions – 10 % → 13 % * International round‑tables – 30 % → 33 % *Key takeaway:* Participation in B2B events abroad is the most effective lever for increasing foreign sales and partnerships. --- ## 4. Technology stack (engines) |

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The 2023 national survey of Brazil’s game‑development ecosystem maps the sector as it stood in 2022, revealing a vibrant but highly fragmented industry dominated by micro‑ and small studios. With 1,042 active studios and a representative sample of 309 developers, 214 freelancers and 80 support organisations, the market expanded despite a 5.1 % contraction in the global games market, delivering a 3 % domestic growth that lifted the industry to US $182.9 bn in 2022 and projecting US $206.4 bn by 2025. Brazil ranks fifth worldwide in online population, hosting roughly 103 million gamers; revenue generation is led by mobile (49 %), followed by PC (26 %) and consoles (25 %), while gender parity approaches equality with women accounting for 46.2 % of players. Export orientation is emerging, as 76 % of developers target the domestic market but substantial shares also aim at the United States (58 %), Latin America (57 %) and Western Europe (55 %). Prospects for the next three years show Canada and Latin America each featuring in 47 % of sales roadmaps, with China appearing in 44 % of plans, indicating a gradual diversification of export destinations. The sector is supported by 17 regional industry associations and coordinated nationally by Abragames, Brazil Games and ApexBrasil, which provide market representation, business‑matching missions and participation in overseas fairs. Artificial intelligence dominates technology priorities, cited by more than half of respondents as a short‑ and long‑term focus, while XR/VR/AR follows closely, driven by 5G and new engines such as Unreal Engine 5. Interest in blockchain and

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The 2022 Brazilian Games Industry Survey demonstrates that Brazil’s gaming sector has entered a phase of rapid expansion and increasing global relevance. Between 2018 and 2022 the number of domestic development studios more than doubled, rising from 375 to 1,009, while domestic digital‑game sales reached over US $2.3 billion in 2021, accounting for roughly three‑quarters of the market’s total revenue. This growth reflects a maturing ecosystem that now includes a full spectrum of domestic and foreign participants, from independent creators to multinational publishers. The analysis highlights a dual‑track outlook in which private investment is expected to intensify, driving higher levels of international publishing, scaling of emerging opportunities, and greater promotion of Brazilian events abroad. Concurrently, public agencies such as Abragames, Brazil Games and ApexBrasil are projected to expand quantitative support through export missions, business‑matching initiatives and promotional campaigns, reinforcing the sector’s export potential. A broad portfolio of recent Brazilian titles illustrates the country’s expanding talent pool and creative versatility, positioning Brazil as a competitive player on the world stage. Overall, the findings underscore a robust, export‑oriented trajectory for Brazil’s gaming industry, driven by a surge in studio formation, strong domestic sales, and coordinated public‑private efforts aimed at amplifying international visibility and market access. The survey’s scope encompasses the national market from 2018 through 2022, covering studio demographics, revenue figures, and the institutional framework supporting the sector’s growth.

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Key Insights into Brazilian Gamers

Brazil represents a significant force in the global gaming industry, ranking as the 10th largest market worldwide by revenue and 5th by total player count as of 2022. The region is characterized by high levels of engagement, with 80% of the online population identified as game enthusiasts. This engagement extends beyond play, as 60% of the audience both plays and watches gaming video content, while only 25% play without viewing. The demographic profile of Brazilian gamers is diverse, though it skews toward younger males. Approximately 51% of players are male and 48% are female, with the 21–35 age bracket forming the largest segment at 43%. Mobile gaming is the dominant platform, utilized by 60% of the gaming population, followed by console and PC at 31% and 30% respectively. Despite the prevalence of mobile, average weekly play times are consistent across platforms, ranging from roughly four and a half to five hours. Monetization trends indicate a healthy spending culture, with 43% of players classified as payers. The primary drivers for spending include unlocking exclusive playable content and personalizing in-game characters. Popular titles in the region include competitive and social games such as League of Legends, Fortnite, and Roblox. The findings are based on a survey of 2,063 active internet users aged 10–65 in residential developed areas of Brazil. The methodology utilizes a "Residential Developed Approach," ensuring the data is representative of the connected population within these specific geographic zones. The research was conducted by Newzoo as part of their 2022 Global Games Market Report and Consumer Insights series.

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State of the Game Industry 2023

The global game development landscape in 2023 is characterized by a return to established platforms and a growing skepticism toward speculative technologies. PC remains the primary focus for the majority of developers, while the PlayStation 5 has emerged as the preferred console for both current projects and future interest. Conversely, enthusiasm for blockchain and the metaverse has waned significantly, with a vast majority of studios reporting no interest in the former and nearly half of the workforce doubting the long-term viability of the latter. This shift coincides with a workforce demographic that is increasingly concentrated in smaller indie studios and composed of professionals with a decade or less of experience. Operational priorities are shifting toward social responsibility and internal structural reform. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, alongside sustainability and accessibility measures, have become standard considerations for more than half of the industry. However, significant labor tensions persist, evidenced by a majority of developers supporting unionization and widespread concern regarding the impact of large-scale studio acquisitions on the market. While hybrid work models have become the norm, the industry continues to struggle with self-imposed pressure to work extended hours and a reliance on traditional discovery methods, such as word-of-mouth and storefront promotions, over emerging social media platforms. The industry also faces critical challenges regarding workplace safety and demographic representation. Player harassment remains a pervasive issue, affecting 40% of the workforce and disproportionately impacting community managers and marginalized groups. While most companies have issued statements addressing these incidents, developers are calling for more robust enforcement policies and mental health resources. Demographically, the industry remains largely white and male, though a significant 20% of respondents identify as LGBTQ+. These findings suggest an industry in a state of transition, balancing technological pragmatism with a heightened focus on cultural and structural accountability.

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Brazilian Gaming Industry Report 2023

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