New Zealand games sector hits $1bn revenue two years earlier than anticipated

New Zealand’s games sector has moved past $1 billion in revenue, and it got there earlier than the NZGDA’s 2023 forecast of 2028. The milestone is being linked to the Game Development Sector Rebate (introduced in 2023) and ongoing support from the Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE).

The numbers show a sharp climb: the industry was up 7% by the end of 2023 to $270.9 million, then reached $758.9 million last year, alongside a 29% increase in workforce size. That kind of growth matters because it usually means more hiring, more local production capacity, and a better case for keeping work in-country instead of outsourcing it.

NZGDA says the government is getting an estimated eight-to-one return on each dollar invested through these funding streams. That’s the kind of metric that can keep policy support alive, which is important for studios that depend on rebates, grants, or tax incentives to make projects viable.

For developers, the practical takeaway is that New Zealand is becoming a more credible place to build and scale studios, not just a niche market. Joy Keene also pointed to education and vocational pathways as the next bottleneck, which suggests the main constraint may shift from funding to talent pipeline and retention.