Country & Regional Reports·Updated Mar 21, 2026 by Abragames
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Report · March 1, 2024
Published by Abragames
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.
BRAZILIAN GAMING INDUSTRY 2023
Survey and report by
3 The aim and significance of the annual mapping of the Brazilian Game Industry The launch of the 2nd National Survey of the Game Industry extends far beyond simply documenting a moment experienced by Brazilian game developers. This marks the second phase of a much larger com- mitment assumed by Abragames in 2021 when we started the project. Our primary objective is to anqnually map the studios in the country, identify different aspects of the sector, and capture a “picture” of the ecosystem. This serves as a crucial tool to identify areas requiring evolution, improvements over the previous year, and potential directions to go ahead. With such important and never-be- fore-reached goals in the Brazilian indus- try, it is normal to encounter difficulties, learn lessons, and even recalculate the route. This year’s survey shows us that this process is essential for improving re- sults, and I am certain that the evolution can already be perceived in the follow- ing material, the result of intense work by many people concerned about the future of our studios and professionals. Nevertheless, we were confident that the forthcoming material would boast a sig-
4 nificantly enhanced depth and comprehensiveness. This deci- sion was pivotal to have year-to-year comparisons with great- er coherence and to incorporate a broader array of pertinent insights into the study. The data for the year 2022 is to identify where the structur- ing of the industry needs to toughen and where an immedi- ate reaction is needed. In the next edition of the study, which should be published in 2025, the reflection of these results will be essential to understand the evolution of the period. In fact, the 2nd National Survey of the Game Industry makes it clear how important it is for this monitoring to be done annually. The gaming market as a whole is extremely dynamic, and this can- not be disregarded with each new report of our industry. Therefore, at this moment, the greatest legacy of the survey, without a doubt, is the “data update” factor, which gives us a broad and real overview of the market. Another important fac- tor that needs to be mentioned is the evolution of the results and how to identify them; especially when comparing to the first mapping done by Abragames, which had a 2018 survey as the closest reference. The 2nd National Survey of the Game Industry pointed out important movements in mobile gaming, copyright intellectual property, the most used technologies, among many other rele- vant points for the sector. It also helped understand the change in intentions of entrepreneurs, developers, producers, actors, and market professionals. Moreover, we can mention other aspects that affected the sec- tor in some way throughout 2023. Among them: market turbu- lence in technology related to game production, from revenue generation to efficiency; and changes in international market investment, with many bets on already established franchises. With the report, it is clear that, at this moment, our industry is mainly made up of micro and small studios. For these and oth-
5 er reasons, the mapping data allows us to understand where we are as an industry, our size, and what we need to grow. Given the mentioned scenario of 2023, short-term – and even emergency – actions will be necessary from different market players over the next few months. The survey also prompts us to consider where we need to take action as an industry and how we should alert the government to participate in this movement. In other words, it is necessary to identify the problems to act, and the survey is a great ally in this process. After all, in order to maintain sector growth, as predicted in previous surveys, what is needed? How to increase revenues? Exports? The number of studios in the country? The quantity of professionals? The survey shows us the strengths and weaknesses of the in- dustry, details not perceptible, and trends that will be very im- portant for the coming years. It also provides us with subsidies to address critical issues, which are at the base of a market that is projected to become a solid segment in the near future. From it, we can build ways of acting and develop suggestions for various players, as well as for private and public entities belonging to the game sector’s production. Our plan is to constantly maintain the survey, at a frequency that allows us to show the market’s evolution and the impor- tance of investing in data quality. We want the data, when published, to generate a faithful report of the industry. There- fore, what will be seen in the following pages is a portrait of the sector’s evolution and studios in the year 2022. In the role of a market producer, we need to understand com- panies’ mobility regarding their growth and support the ecosys- tem with precise information that helps strengthen the sector in Brazil. Finally, I take this opportunity to emphasize the signif- icance of the partnership between Abragames and ApexBrasil in the Brazil Games Sector Project, as well as in the construc- tion of this valuable database developed to map the industry.
6 For over ten years, we have been cultivating the international presence of this sector, garnering recognition and visibility for studios. Through our partnership, we have established inter- national platforms to enhance the visibility of Brazilian studios abroad. The success of these initiatives is evident in the impact of Brazil’s participation in major international gaming events, among which the 2023 gamescom, which took place in Co- logne, Germany, and where Brazil was honored as the featured country. Enjoy your reading, and remember that Abragames is always open to dialogue! Rodrigo Terra Presidente da Abragames.
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.
**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) |
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
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.