The Swedish gaming industry generated SEK 36.8 billion last year, an increase of 6.4 percent and another record level. The industry accounts for 3 percent of service exports, according to the industry body Computer Games Industry's annual report Game Developer Index.
The rise occurred at the same time as tens of thousands of employees globally were forced to leave their jobs.
We are not quite as affected by the global economy as one might think, says Johanna Nylander at the industry organization.
Same number of employees
The number of employees remained unchanged, up 0.5 percent to 9,130 people. The number of companies rose to 1,101, but 46 percent of them have no employees and 244 have only one employee, both increases. This may indicate that people who were laid off have chosen to start their own businesses.
Those who are already in the industry thrive, want to make games and want to stay, says Nylander.
Worries about this year
Some concern is noticeable ahead of 2025. Many Swedish companies, especially smaller ones, are reporting that it has become more difficult for them to find capital.
Unfortunately, we have seen in some cases that gaming companies have had to pack up before they have had time to release their games that have been in development.
During the autumn of this year, several Swedish companies have announced project closures, downsizing and layoffs. On the other hand, there have been several blockbuster releases such as “Battlefield 6”, “Jump Space”, “Arc Raiders” and “RV there yet?”. A successful game can secure jobs and income for a long time to come.
"It might be wrong to say that it's just about the game release, but it's also about how you manage to maintain a game. Games have a much longer lifespan than 10–20 years ago," says Nylander.
