In 2023, Serbia’s gaming industry earned more than 175 million euros, marking a 17 percent increase from 2022, and also saw a rise in employment, according to research from the Serbian Video Game Industry Association (SGA), the results of which were presented at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS).
Mihailo Vesović, Director of Strategic Analysis, Services, and Internationalisation at the PKS, highlighted that 57 percent of companies are developing original products, and that games produced in Serbia have been purchased or downloaded more than one hundred million times.
“Significant geostrategic changes are positively impacting the gaming industry, which is a vital link between the creative, social, and technical sciences. Gaming is a prospective industry; we supported our gamers’ appearance in Cologne last year and will maintain this continuity this year,” said Vesović, adding that an agreement has also been signed with the Association as a confirmation and official recognition of close and successful cooperation.
The most notable change from 2022 is the exceptional growth in employment—by an astonishing 98 percent, leading to an estimate that 4,300 gaming professionals are working in Serbia.
This growth, according to the PKS, can be attributed to the large number of gaming professionals and their families who have relocated to Serbia from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Additionally, some of the world’s leading companies, such as Wargaming, Playrix, and Sperasoft, now have their largest offices in Serbia, and this influx of knowledge and experience is expected to significantly impact the local gaming industry.
It was also noted that this year plans include the creation of 475 new positions, with women comprising 28 percent of the industry’s workforce.
Photo: pks.rs