ReportRGDA – Romanian Game Developers Association
Romanian Game Development Industry Report 2019
1 Jan 201941 pages~76 min full read
The Romanian game development industry generated $188.5 million in 2018, representing a 19.2% year-over-year growth.
The sector employs over 6,000 professionals across approximately 103 active entities, primarily concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara.
77% of industry firms focus exclusively on game development, while the remainder provide ancillary services like quality assurance, testing, and publishing for international clients.
Mobile and hyper-casual games drive significant commercial success, highlighted by Deep Byte titles exceeding ten million downloads and KillHouse’s 'Door Kickers' reaching 500,000 sales.
Major multinational players, including Ubisoft Romania and EA, utilize local studios to support the development and testing of flagship console and PC franchises.
The industry faces a talent pipeline bottleneck due to a limited number of university programs dedicated to formal game design education.
The 2019 Romanian Game Development Industry Report establishes that Romania’s gaming sector is rapidly maturing, delivering a notable economic contribution and expanding its global footprint. In 2018 the industry generated $188.5 million, marking a 19.2 % increase over the previous year, and employed more than 6,000 professionals across roughly 103 active entities, the majority of which are concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj‑Napoca and Timișoara. Seventy‑seven percent of these firms focus exclusively on game development, while a substantial share provides ancillary services such as quality assurance, publishing and testing for international publishers.
The ecosystem is highly diversified, ranging from small indie teams producing niche titles to multinational subsidiaries that co‑develop major franchises. Mobile and hyper‑casual games dominate commercial success, exemplified by Deep Byte’s titles surpassing ten million downloads and KillHouse’s “Door Kickers” achieving half‑a‑million sales. Romanian studios also contribute to console and PC projects, with Ubisoft Romania and EA’s testing division supporting flagship series. Emerging specializations in virtual reality and narrative‑driven experiences further broaden the sector’s capabilities.
Education remains in an early stage; only a few university programs address game design, limiting the pipeline of formally trained talent. Nonetheless, the industry benefits from a strong pool of creative and cross‑disciplinary professionals, fostering a growing record of internationally recognised releases. The analysis draws on data from SuperData, Newzoo, Goldstein Research and Dealroom, underscoring Romania’s position as an increasingly influential player in the global game development landscape.
