Warsaw’s game industry grows with public support and 307 studios
A city-backed report says Warsaw has 307 game companies and 6,343 workers, while public programmes fund prototypes, accessibility and international promotion.
Warsaw is positioning itself as one of Europe’s most important game-development centres, with 307 game companies and publishers employing 6,343 people, according to figures presented by the city’s economic development office. The figures put the Polish capital ahead of several better-known European hubs by the number of games-industry workers, although the comparisons use different local studies and should not be treated as a perfect league table.1
The figures were presented during a briefing at Centrum Przedsiębiorczości Smolna, an entrepreneurs’ centre in Warsaw, attended as part of a Game Industry Conference (GIC) programme for Japanese and South Korean games-industry professionals. The wider visit also included studios and events in Warsaw and Poznań, including GIC and Poznań Game Arena.1
Warsaw’s game industry by the numbers
The city’s 2026 Report on the Game Industry in Warsaw 2025/2026 says the capital’s 307 companies account for about 37% of Poland’s game-related businesses. Its 6,343 workers represent roughly 44% of the country’s games-industry workforce. The same presentation put Warsaw ahead of London, Stockholm and Barcelona on worker numbers, while acknowledging that each city’s research covers different populations and periods.1
Warsaw’s wider technology and education base is part of the pitch. The city has 68 higher-education institutions, around 260,000 students and about 50,000 graduates a year, figures presented as a source of talent for games as well as IT, artificial intelligence and research. A city survey also found that 95% of games-industry respondents were not considering moving away, while 90% considered Warsaw a good place to build their careers.1
The local cluster includes internationally recognised studios and publishers. CD PROJEKT RED, known for The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, has its headquarters in the city, alongside 11 bit studios, the developer behind This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Larian Studios also has a Warsaw office, while Rebel Wolves — the team behind The Blood of Dawnwalker — was presented as a newer success story.1
Public support reaches beyond funding
The city’s approach combines talent development, business infrastructure and international promotion. Warsaw supports the Student Games Festival, which gives students a place to show their work and meet industry professionals. It also backs local participation at events such as GIC and PAX West, where the city helped promote Polish games and connect developers with publishers, investors and other industry figures.1
At national level, the Creative Industries Institute (IPK) supports games alongside music, design and fashion. Its Video Games Support Programme funds early prototype development, including staff costs and software licences. For 2025/2026, the programme offered grants ranging from 20,000 to 400,000 zloty, covering 80% to 95% of eligible project costs for businesses and non-governmental organisations.1
The support also covers accessibility work, such as subtitles, audio description and control adjustments, as well as localisation into other languages. IPK’s international work includes national booths at games events including gamescom, PAX and China’s WePlay, giving smaller studios access to opportunities they might struggle to reach alone.1
The programme treats games as both an export industry and a cultural product. The Central & Eastern European Game Awards brings together industry bodies from 16 countries, while Polish Video Game Days combines exhibitions, education and cultural activity. A partnership with GOG.com is also being used to showcase Polish-made games internationally.1
Our opinion
Warsaw’s strongest advantage is not one headline statistic but the way its support systems connect. A large talent pool and established studios matter, but so do prototype grants, accessibility funding, localisation and a route to international audiences. That makes the city’s pitch more practical than simply calling itself a games hub.
The caveat is that the numbers come from a city-backed report and the European comparisons are not perfectly like-for-like. Even so, 307 companies, 6,343 workers and a support structure reaching from student projects to overseas promotion describe a serious ecosystem. For developers and publishers looking beyond the traditional European centres, Warsaw is making a credible case for attention.