News - NZGDA

Are you a passionate game creator with a Kiwi-made tabletop game? Here’s an exciting opportunity to showcase your creativity and connect with a highly engaged audience of gamers, enthusiasts, and industry professionals! What’s happening? The Table Top Games Showcase is a special event at the NZ Game Developers Conference (NZGDC) on Saturday, 27th September, from […]

Like all businesses providing goods and services in New Zealand, game studios are subject to rules and regulations around consumer protection. The Commerce Commission is responsible for monitoring and, where appropriate, enforcing these rules, including under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act. The Commission has recently undertaken some compliance monitoring of the […]

We’ve made a submission to the Education and Workforce Committee on the Inquiry into Online Harm experienced by young people. While we support efforts to keep rangatahi safe online, we strongly urge that video games not be lumped in with social media. Games offer structured, creative, and purpose-built experiences—not open-ended, algorithm-driven environments like social platforms. […]

Forty game development studios across Aotearoa New Zealand will receive a share of $22.44m in the second year of the Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR), with initial data showing a 20.5 percent increase in roles and each GDSR-funded employee generating over $525,000 in revenue. In the second year of the GDSR, the number of studios […]



NZGDA has submitted industry feedback on Toi Mai’s proposed: Level 3 NZ Certificate in Creative Production/Promotion Level 5 NZ Diploma in Creative Production and Strategy We appreciate Toi Mai’s engagement with the sector and the opportunity to help shape qualifications that reflect real-world game development needs. Level 3 Certificate There is strong support for this […]

The New Zealand Game Developers Association has made a submission on the Education and Training Amendment Bill, which outlines the proposed replacement of Workforce Development Councils with Industry Skills Boards. Our response raised key concerns about the exclusion of digital technologies, including game development, from the scope of the new boards. This risks weakening the […]

Today, the New Zealand Game Developers Association has released an open letter outlining serious concerns with the proposed vocational education and training reforms. The open letter has been signed by studios, educators, and industry leaders across the game development and wider creative technology sectors. It highlights the risk that the reforms will exclude digital technologies […]

Wellington Games Week (WGW) is back for 2025, taking place from 27 September – 4 October. This exciting week celebrates the vibrant NZ games community, inviting developers, publishers, educators, studios, businesses, and all gaming enthusiasts to join us in Wellington. We are now accepting applications for this year’s lineup of satellite events, including workshops, exhibitions, […]



Then you’ve come to the right place! We currently have three volunteer opportunities available and could really use your help.  🙏 Web page designer needed for NZGDC programme page! 🌟 Do you love web design and are keen to make a difference? Then we need you to design this year’s NZGDC programme page. This will […]

The submission window for workshops at this year’s NZ Game Developers Conference (NZGDC) is now open, and we’re calling on you to share your expertise and passion with the community. For the first time ever, you have the flexibility to propose workshop sessions of 1, 2, or 3 hours. Whether you want to deliver a […]

The New Zealand Game Developers Association has submitted a response to the Government’s proposed reforms to the vocational education and training (VET) system. While we support the intent to strengthen industry input and regional delivery, we are concerned that the reforms as currently drafted risk excluding high-growth, future-focused sectors such as game development and other […]

New Zealand’s game development sector is one of the country’s fastest-growing creative industries, generating over $548 million in export revenue in 2024 alone. With 26% year-on-year growth, world-class studios, and a reputation for creative and technical excellence, we are on track to become a $1 billion export industry in the coming years. But right now, […]