The Swedish games industry experienced robust growth in 2022, with revenue generated by local companies increasing by 13% year-on-year to reach €3.1 billion. When factoring in international sales, the sector’s revenue reached €8.1 billion, a 38% increase compared to the previous year. The Embracer Group accounted for a significant portion of this total, contributing €3.5 billion. The industry also witnessed a 6% increase in employment, with a total of 8,445 people working in the Swedish games sector in 2022. The report highlighted the increasing number of active game companies in Sweden, with 939 registered businesses as of December 2022, reflecting a 19% increase compared to the previous year. Nearly half of these companies were solo enterprises. However, the industry faces challenges related to a shortage of skilled talent, with comparatively few game developers graduating from the country’s education programs.
Ubisoft and EA DICE remained the country’s largest employers in the sector, with 850 and 696 employees, respectively. Notably, women represented over 23% of the Swedish games industry workforce in 2022, with 1,977 positions, indicating a 1% increase compared to 2021. While 44% of new entrants into the industry were women in 2022, the report showed that employers are mainly recruiting talent from other countries due to the skills shortage. Additionally, there are nearly 400 Swedish-owned studios worldwide, with 257 of them being acquired by the Embracer Group.
This growth highlights the strength and vitality of the Swedish games industry, both domestically and internationally.
