29% of German games firms expect 2026 to be a better year

Almost a third of German games companies expect 2026 to be a better year for the industry than 2025.

That’s according to research published by the country’s video games trade body, Game, which shows that 29% of respondents expect the games industry to head in a positive direction over the next 12 months. That’s considerably higher than the 17% who voted this way in last year’s poll.

41% of German games firms are neutral on whether 2026 will be better or worse, while 31% have a negative outlook on the coming 12 months.

When it comes to how they feel their own businesses will perform, 53% say that they are positive about 2026, representing a modest increase on last year’s stats. 34% are neutral, while 12% feel the coming year will be worse.

Game also asked companies how they felt about hiring new staff in 2026; 32% said they were positive, the same as last year, but still a sizeable decline from the 41% who voted in the affirmative in 2024. 53% are neutral on the matter, a 2% increase year-on-year, while 15% feel negatively about hiring new employees, a 2% dip.

“Confidence is returning to Germany’s games industry,” said the MD of Game, Felix Falk.

“Following a difficult phase both here and abroad, positive signals, such as the strong Gamescom 2025, and important policy initiatives, like the increased federal games funding and the announced federal tax incentives, are bringing improved prospects and greater optimism compared to a year ago.”

During 2024, the German games market decreased by 6% year-on-year, bringing in €9.4 billion. Premium game sales declined by 17%, too.

In July of this year, Game also published research showing that the number of companies in the sector fell by 4% in 2024, while the industry saw a 2% decline in workers.