SEP 27 – INVESTMENT

Brazilian games market grows abroad

The increase in the number of Brazilian studios and the high quality of the products developed in the country have not gone unnoticed in the international market. In 2021 about 57% of local developers had international revenues, which was facilitated by digital platforms such as Apple Store, Google Play, and Steam. The main consumer markets for the Brazilian production are the United States and Latin America, but Europe and Canada are also relevant, followed by Portuguese-speaking countries, Japan, and China.

The Brazilian presence abroad also includes international events, either by attending content sessions, showcasing products or participating in business meetings and trade missions. The support of Brazil Games, an export program carried out in partnership by ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and Abragames (Brazilian Game Companies Association), has been very important for the promotion of the Brazilian studios and games industry overseas.

The Brazil Games Project coordinates the participation of Brazilian companies in events abroad, offering infrastructure and support throughout the process. This year alone, the Project members have participated in important international events such as GDC, Kidscreen, Gamescom and XDS.

The plan for 2023 is to focus on target international markets, aiming to expand the Brazilian reach and presence abroad.

Beyond traditional gaming hubs such as the United States, Europe and Japan, Brazilian developers started to look for opportunities in other fast-growing markets. Recently, Abragames/Brazil Games members, with ApexBrasil, the priority markets for 2023:

Priority : Canada, United States, UK and Portugal

Secondary Market: Germany, Japan, Spain and Finland

Panel

Fortis & Room 8: International Investment, All Eyes on Brazil

In this session, 2 top global players, Fortis and Room 8, talk about their decisions to invest in Brazilian studios Oktagon and PUGA.

Participants:

Mediator:

Shawn Foust

COO at Fortis Games

Vlad Ostapenko

Head of Corporate Development at Room 8 Group

Bruno Capelas

Journalist

Investment in Brazil

Global digital game companies close deals with national studios

Between March and May 2022, four Brazilian studios announced deals with major foreign companies: Oktagon Games, Aquiris Game Studio, PUGA Studios and Rogue Snail. “This is a historic moment for Brazil and the future is even more promising,” celebrated Rodrigo Terra, president of Abragames (Brazilian Game Companies Association).

Brazil is currently the largest consumer market for games in Latin America and the 10th in the world. In addition, the country has been standing out in the digital game development industry. For Carolina Caravana, vice president of Abragames, highlighting these successful cases is a way of encouraging other national studios to seek international partnerships and to consolidate themselves in the global market. “This is our mission as an association: to open more and more doors and create opportunities to bring together Brazilian studios and those from any other market”.

Aquiris Game Studio, from Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul State, developer of the acclaimed Brazilian game “Horizon Chase”, got an unprecedented investment from Epic Games, creator of “Fortnite”, one of the most successful games in the world. The agreement involves Aquiris’ participation in the production of future Epic releases, which, in turn, will publish the Brazilian company’s games in the international market.

Rogue Snail, from São Paulo, closed a great deal with North American developer Gearbox Software and launched its main game, “Relic Hunters Legend”, on the international market.

“It is extremely gratifying to see so many successful cases. We are certainly living the peak of our industry”, said Eliana Russi, international director of Abragames, who has been working to strengthen and promote the national game development industry for almost twenty years.

Oktagon Games, a Paraná State-based studio specializing in mobile games, recently announced its acquisition by Fortis Games, a company owned by the Las Vegas Sands Resort and Casino Group. And next came the announcement that Recife-based PUGA Studios, which is a reference in external development projects and has been in the business since 2017, was acquired by Room 8, an international outsourcing company for art production and game development that provides external services worldwide.