NZ On Air announces second-year GDSR recipients — showing improved economic value and job creation

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)

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 receiving the rebate has also grown by 24 percent, up from 33 in 2024, showing more studios are meeting eligibility thresholds and actively scaling in response.

“These figures are hugely encouraging to see,” says Chantelle Cole, NZ On Air GDSR Programme Director. “They show that the GDSR is not only allowing studios to sustain jobs but actively grow their teams.”

“The key objectives of the GDSR from the outset were to retain industry talent, keep studios from heading offshore and enable studios to stabilise, scale and invest in long-term capability. The data is showing that we’re on the right track.”

The GDSR, introduced in 2023, provides a 20 percent rebate on eligible expenditure to support the growth of Aotearoa New Zealand’s game development sector. The GDSR is administered by NZ On Air, with policy oversight from MBIE. The rebate is capped at $3 million per studio per year, with a minimum qualifying expenditure of $250,000.

This year’s recipients represent a diverse range of studios from across the motu, developing original IP and contributing to a thriving digital export industry.

“The GDSR is clearly starting to play a big role in retaining talent and IP in New Zealand, while also boosting our presence and capabilities in the global marketplace,” says Cole.

“Over the next few years, its impacts will continue to become even clearer– but it is evident that the rebate’s existence has already resulted in studios continuing to do business in Aotearoa New Zealand and ignited further investment in our local sector.”

Key GDSR 2025 data highlights:

  • Eligible staff numbers grew from 1,141 to 1,353, an 18.6 percent year-on-year increase. Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) roles similarly grew, up 20.5 percent from 1079 to 1300.
  • Average revenue per GDSR-funded employee reached approximately $525,260, up 14.8 percent from 2024 – highlighting the sector’s high-value, export-oriented output.
  • Overall, total eligible expenditure increased by 16 percent, with three studios more than doubling their eligible spend.

Preliminary data for 2025 from NZGDA shows revenue is now tracking 61% higher than it was two years ago, before the introduction of the rebate, when annual growth had slowed to just 7%. Finalised 2025 revenue figures are expected in September.

“These early indicators suggest the GDSR is delivering on its economic promise — supporting a high-growth sector that’s making a meaningful contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand’s creative economy and export success,” says Cole.

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GDSR 2025 Recipients

2Up Games

A44

Balancing Monkey Games

Beyond Studio

Big Adventure

Blind Squirrel Entertainment

Camshaft Software

CerebralFix

Conical

Deep Field Games

Digital Confectioners

Dinosaur Polo Club

DreamLoft

Dry Cactus

Evans Taylor Digital

Flightless

Floating Rock Studio

Futureverse

Geo AR

Gfactor

Grinding Gear Games

Insight Creative

Melodics

Mighty Eyes

Mytona

Niantic Aotearoa

Ninja Kiwi

Outerdawn

PikPok

PlaySide Studios

RiffRaff Games

RocketWerkz

Runaway

SharpMind Games

Snickerdoodle Games

Space Rock Games

Splitting Point

Staples Productions

Synty Studios

Wētā Workshop

*The rebate amount received by each individual studio is confidential and commercially sensitive. The amount each business received – grouped in dollar bands – will be published on the NZ On Air website two years after the rebate is paid out.

GDSR 2025 infogrphic screenshot

Download the GDSR Year Two infographic on our website here.

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