Bremen‘s King Art Games Aims for Independence as German Gaming Market Booms
Bremen, Germany – Local game developer King Art Games is pivoting toward autonomous project development and publishing, fueled by federal funding and recent sales success, as Germany solidifies its position as a major player in the rapidly expanding European gaming market. The move comes as the German games industry grapples with a reliance on imported titles despite generating €9.4 billion in sales last year - a nearly 50% increase as 2019.
The shift reflects a broader transformation of the gaming landscape, debunking outdated stereotypes. According to the “Annual Report of the German Games Branch 2025,” nearly half (48 percent) of German gamers are female, with an average age of thirty. however, despite this growth, Germany lags behind countries like france and Great Britain in domestic game production, a consequence of past “killer game debates” and a historically negative perception of video games. king Art Games, known for developing Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV, is now seeking to address this deficit.
“there are a few developers who really manage to assert themselves internationally, and in this respect there is not a doom of the world,” stated King Art Games’ theysen. Since 2019, federal funding has been available to support computer game development, including projects like those currently underway at King Art. The company aims to leverage this funding, alongside revenue from existing games, to self-fund and independently publish future titles, keeping more revenue within Germany – and specifically, Bremen.
The success of this strategy hinges on the performance of a new game slated for release next year. Theysen emphasized the benefits of independence, stating, “Of course, this has the great advantage that more money stays with us, but especially here in Bremen.” He also highlighted the potential for increased collaboration between local companies, suggesting that many projects currently outsourced to the US or UK could be handled domestically.
