Gaming industry of Serbia makes income of EUR 214 million in 2024, 22% more than in 2023

The gaming industry of Serbia had an income of EUR 214 million in 2024, that is, 22% more than in 2023, as shown by a survey by the Serbian Games Association (SGA), carried out with the support of the PwC team.

Kristina Jankovic Obucina, Senior Ecosystem Manager at SGA, who presented the report at the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS), said that over 100 teams and companies in the games industry, with around 4,500 professionals the previous year, operated in Serbia. She said that the main development centers were Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis.

– It is estimated that, this year, 130 jobs will be created in gaming companies, which is a record low number, and 49% of the employees in the gaming industry are foreigners from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus – said Jankovic Obucina.

She added that around 78% companies used AI (artificial intelligence) mostly for development, and 2D art and animation for game design and marketing.

Mihajlo Jovanovic-Dzaril, Director of SGA, said that, that year, for the first time, negative trends had been noticed, although the income and the number of people in the industry were growing.

– We can see that there are fewer young, new companies being founded. Also, the income comes much less from companies with a majority Serbian ownership – pointed out Jovanovic-Dzaril.

He said that the aim was “for Serbia to remain an active destination for big, global companies and to stimulate the development and growth of local companies, as well as to support local talents, young and creative people, who want to start and build a career in a promising industry.”

In the annual report of SGA, it is said that women comprise 31% of the employees in the gaming industry and that they run a third of all teams in that industry. The games made in Serbia have been downloaded nearly 300 million times, 44 new games were published during 2024, and 84 are under development.

Teodora Rodic, Digital, Startups & Innovation Consultant at PwC SEE Consulting, estimated that the impact of local companies had been reduced compared to the impact of the foreign ones that had arrived to the Serbian market.

She added that, in 2021, the gaming industry of Serbia had had an inflow of Russian talents and that, during 2024, Russian citizens comprised two thirds of the employees in the 15 best gaming companies.

Asocijacija Industrije Video Igara Srbije Beograd

PricewaterhouseCoopers d.o.o. Beograd

Privredna komora Srbije

SGA

PwC

CCIS

Kristina Janković Obućina

Mihajlo Jovanović Džaril

Teodora Rodić

gaming industry of Serbia