Observed Signal · Sep 29, 2026 · Industry Development · Source: PocketGamer.biz · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
eGames Lab Drives Portugal's Games Industry Growth
eGames Lab, a consortium of 22 entities including commercial organizations, academic institutions, and government bodies, has significantly boosted Portugal's games industry since its founding in 2022. Industry revenue grew from €20 million to over €100 million by end of 2025. The consortium establishes four games hubs across Portugal, Madeira, and the Azores, fostering collaboration and scale-up support. Partnerships with DevGAMM, APVP, and Unicorn Factory aim to create a comprehensive ecosystem. The project manager highlights the shift from fragmented indie development to a dynamic hub, with homegrown successes like Redcatpig and Infinity Games on the global stage. Future plans include consolidating achievements and enhancing scale-up capabilities.
The growth of Portugal's games industry is relevant to the gaming and advertising ecosystem, but the news is not directly about AdTech or MarTech. It may have indirect implications for in-game advertising opportunities.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- eGames Lab is a consortium of 22 entities founded in 2022.
- Portugal's games industry revenue grew from €20 million to over €100 million by end of 2025.
- Four games hubs are being established in Portugal, Madeira, and the Azores.
- DevGAMM Lisbon attendance grew from 400 (2022) to over 1,200 in November 2025.
- Infinity Games repaid its grant allocation within one year.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“international publishers, such as Miniclip and Saber Interactive, that had opened offices in Porto...”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Brazil's Games Industry Expands Global Presence
Brazil's games industry is actively promoting itself on the global stage through events like BIG Festival, Gamescom LATAM, and international trade shows. The export program Brazil Games, in partnership with Abragames and ApexBrasil, has been taking Brazilian studios to major events worldwide, including Gamescom and the Tokyo Game Show. At the Tokyo Game Show 2026, Brazil had its largest-ever presence with 31 companies, 12 playable titles, 21 studios, and 55 delegates. The industry is known for co-development and outsourcing services. A new legal framework is being established to support growth, with the Brazil Games Accelerator already hosting 40 studios. Abragames president Rodrigo Terra emphasizes building the 'global South' and expects 80% of support mechanisms to be in place by the end of 2027.
UK Games Industry Eyes Growth as Government Boosts Support
UKIE CEO Nick Poole and TIGA CEO Richard Wilson outline the UK games sector’s strengths and challenges ahead of a potentially strong 2026. UK consumer spend reached £8.76bn in 2025, but employment contracted to 27,347 and startup formation has fallen sharply. Industry groups stress skills shortages, a funding gap for studios scaling from micro to mid-size, and the need for improved tax relief and grants. The government has pledged £30m — including £28.5m for the UK Games Fund — and recent steps such as SIC code classification and recognition of games as a 'frontier industry' are welcomed, while trade bodies recommend enhancing the Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC) to unlock further investment and growth.
MENA governments race to build gaming industries by 2030
Middle East and North African governments — led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco and Egypt — are pursuing national ambitions to build gaming industries by 2030 (Dubai targets 2033). Saudi Arabia's National Gaming and Esports Strategy, launched in 2022, is the most heavily funded, with over $38 billion channeled through the Public Investment Fund and Savvy Games Group and large deals including a PIF-led $55bn EA acquisition. The piece contrasts Saudi Arabia's deep capital deployment with the UAE's infrastructure-led model (Dubai's GameForward accelerator) and Morocco's rapid, EU-supported push toward $3bn revenue. Egypt has a large player base but lacks a dedicated national gaming strategy. The article highlights both significant investment and persistent risks: skills gaps, funding constraints, geopolitical volatility and the challenge of creating sustainable domestic IP.
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