The Government has announced a major funding boost for New Zealand’s game development sector, doubling support for early-stage studios through CODE to accelerate innovation, job creation, and global market reach.
the New Zealand Government announced a set of measures to strengthen the game development sector – reflecting its growing importance as a high-skill, high-export creative technology industry. These moves build on earlier policy work and aim to help studios scale, retain talent, and compete globally.
What’s Being Boosted
Here are the key levers the Government is turning up:
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More funding for the Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE).
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Starting 2026, an extra NZ$2.75 million annually will be added to CODE, doubling its current funding.
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CODE supports early-stage game studios and startups – via prototype grants, production support, travel grants, etc.
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The Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR).
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Introduced in Budget 2023, this rebate gives eligible game studios a 20% rebate on qualifying development expenditure.
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The rebate is capped at NZ$3 million per studio per year, with minimum qualifying expenditure of NZ$250,000.
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GDSR is administered by NZ On Air, under policy oversight from MBIE.
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Ongoing metrics of growth to date.
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In 2024, NZ’s game development industry earned NZ$513 million. Projections suggest revenues will exceed NZ$750 million in 2025, and possibly reach NZ$1 billion by 2027, largely driven by overseas sales.
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Employment has also surged: a ~29% employment growth in one recent year, with more than 300 new jobs added.
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Export orientation & retention of talent.
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A big part of this push is to ensure studios stay in NZ, that IP is built here, and that talent is retained rather than migrating overseas. The GDSR and support through CODE are intended to improve competitiveness and make NZ studios more viable internationally.
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