“New Zealand’s success is being built by ambitious studios of all sizes” – Combined revenue of studios supported by rebate grows 17% to $829m
New Zealand’s video game sector continues its expansion, with combined studio revenue supported by the Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR) increasing 17% year-on-year to $829 million in 2025/26. The growth reflects the resilience and scale of the nation’s game development ecosystem.
According to data from NZ On Air, 43 studios benefited from the rebate program, collectively receiving $21.9 million in funding support. While direct rebate funding decreased slightly from $22.4 million in the previous year, the lower per-studio allocation reflects the expansion of participating developers rather than any decline in sector performance.
The number of games currently in development across these studios rose significantly to 194 titles, up from 170 in the prior period, demonstrating increased project activity and creative output across the industry. Notably, 90% of studios supported by the GDSR were classified as small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), underscoring how the rebate program supports independent and mid-tier developers rather than large international studios.
Medium-sized studios emerged as the strongest performers during this period, showing particularly robust revenue growth. This distribution of success across studios of varying sizes suggests a healthy, diversified ecosystem capable of supporting projects at multiple scales and price points.
The GDSR continues to play a crucial role in New Zealand’s competitive positioning in the global games industry, attracting and nurturing talent while enabling studios to invest in new properties and technology. The data suggests the strategy of supporting broad-based studio development is yielding measurable results in both financial performance and creative output.