Natascha Rommens 
16/11/2022
Our beloved #belgiangamesindustry is evolving at a fierce pace as are showing the 2021 figures of the latest #belgiangamesindustry report. Although still quite young, the Belgian game sector is gradually growing into a relevant player in the Belgian labour market. Most game companies predict that this upward trend will continue next year. With the tax shelter expansion in the offing, the forecast for the videogame sector is positive. Grab the main takeaways of the survey below or download the full report right here.
In 2021, the Belgian videogame sector had no less than 110 companies; a sharp increase compared to 2020 (when there were 84 companies active). These companies accounted for a turnover of €88 million and employed 935 people.
- Compared to 2020, overall turnover went up 8% to €88 million
- FTE count growing 13% to 935 up from 825 in 2020
- East Flanders remains province with most game companies
- Game sector in Brussels grows by 70%
- PC is the most profitable platform for our local game studios
- Entertainment games remain by far the largest category of developed games in Belgium
In terms of geographical spread, all regions grow but there’s a remarkable evolution in Brussels. The majority of Belgian videogame companies is still based in Flanders (69%). Both Wallonia and Brussels count for more companies than last year but Brussels accounts for the most vigorous grow of 70%. The boast of videogame startups working on their first titles is starting to show in the market data.
While it’s great that over half of companies have lived past the 5 year mark, it goes to show that our industry is still fragile, especially when you contemplate 84% of our companies still consist of max 10 people. The number of one (wo)man companies grew compared to 2020 which shows Belgium has a fertile breeding ground for videogame companies. Let’s see where this takes us in a few years.
In conclusion, there’s plenty to be happy about and there’s more good stuff ahead. There’s an evolution here that’s hard to ignore. This is a sector that’s hard to ignore.
Hungry for more insights? Download the full report right here
