Poland is a power in the gaming industry. Warsaw is at the top of the European ranking

The Warsaw gaming sector employs 6,343 people, which makes it a leader among the five largest European gaming industry hubs – according to the report “Warsaw – the leading European game production hub” prepared by the Vitruvio Foundation and the Indie Games Polska Foundation commissioned by the capital city hall.

He took second place in this ranking London with 5,930 employees. The podium closes Stockholm with 5,820 employees. Fourth place goes to Barcelona (5,170 people), fifth Oxford-Guildford (4,750 people)sixth Helsinkom (2,700 people)and the list ends Berlin (2,430 people).

The report states that each hub has a distinct profile, and one thing they all have in common is the presence of independent studios – typically focused on producing games for PC and consoles – because, as indicated, mobile indie gamedev has largely ceased to function as an independent, profitable market segment.

“This means that each of the main hubs is, to some extent, represented by its community of independent creators. However, this is where the similarities largely end, and the differences between individual centers become significant,” they wrote.

The report's authors point out that Berlin and Barcelona are primarily mobile hubs, with only a few studios working on AAA productions. In turn, Stockholm and Helsinki also have a strong mobile component, but unlike Berlin or Barcelona, ​​they also host large first-party AAA producers, which is primarily visible in the case of Stockholm.

“Warsaw resembles these hubs in some respects: it has a dynamic independent scene, a moderately developed mobile sector and a strong PC/console segment, including leading AAA game producers. One of the key differences, however, is the presence of a highly developed External Development sector, which distinguishes Warsaw from most European hubs,” the report said.

It was indicated that the list does not take into account Paris, which is almost certainly one of the most important European centers of the gaming industrybut the French gaming sector does not publish employment data in its annual reports.

The report also indicates that employment in the Warsaw gaming sector accounted for 43.5% in 2025. national employment in this sector.

The authors of the report also state that in 2024, the revenues of Warsaw gaming companies will be PLN 2.52 billion compared to PLN 2.79 billion in 2023.

“In terms of revenues, Warsaw seems to be going through the crisis more resiliently than the rest of the country. The decline in revenues between 2023 and 2024 is due to a greater extent to production cycles than to the structural weakness of the market. A clear example is CD Projekt RED, which after the premiere of the 'Phantom Liberty' expansion for 'Cyberpunk 2077' in 2023 (…) did not have any major premiere in 2024,” it was written. (PAP Business)

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