Ankara: The Turkish video game industry is targeting a revenue milestone of $750 million by the end of this year, as revealed by a sector representative to Anadolu. The industry witnessed a growth of over 20% in 2024, reaching a volume of $695 million, with mobile games contributing to 54% of that revenue. The number of players hit record levels, bolstered by the emergence of more domestic studios.
According to Anadolu Agency, the number of Turkish-made console and computer video games surged by 133% in 2024. Ozan Aydemir, president of Gaming in Trkiye, shared that while the revenue figures for the first half of 2025 are yet to be disclosed, the increasing number of games across various platforms and their successes indicate sustained growth in the sector.
Aydemir highlighted that the establishment of new game studios has risen since last year, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) powered design and programming solutions that have reduced setup costs for independent developers. AI-supported game development is becoming increasingly prevalent in Trkiye and globally, with developers leveraging AI for visual production and in-game dialogue writing, paving the way for fully AI-made productions.
He further emphasized Trkiye's position among the top three countries with the most investments in the video game sector in Europe and the Middle East since 2021, with investments totaling $71.6 million in 2024. The US, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions remain the primary target markets due to their cultural proximity and large mobile gaming audiences.
Aydemir noted that Trkiye has been exporting games for some time, marking video games as one of the fastest-growing export items in the software and technology sector. He stressed the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors to secure a stronger global position for the Turkish video game industry, advocating for long-term project creation, investments in marketing, and global partnerships.
Meanwhile, Tansu Kendirli, president of Oyunder Game Designers, Developers, Producers, and Publishers Association, shared that the sector has rapidly developed with the help of incentives. Kendirli observed that larger and more experienced firms tend to attract more investors, while the criteria of platforms like Google Play Store and Apple App Store serve as benchmarks for investors.
He noted that purchases slowed post-2022 as smaller companies faced rising costs due to changing rules and conditions. However, recent advancements in AI have drawn significant attention, with gaming investments increasingly focusing on AI-driven needs.