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"Rapid revenue growth": Kiwi video game studios raking in more and more money

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 9 Jul 2026, 9:26am
Photo / Getty
Photo / Getty

Video games are raking in the cash and keeping people employed.  

NZ on Air-funded studios brought in $829 million in the year to July – 17% more revenue than last year.  

Those studios also have more than a thousand full-time employees.  

Director of the Game Development Sector Rebate at New Zealand on Air, Chantelle Cole says we're punching above our weight, with the global average being a 9% increase in revenue. 

She told Mike Hosking the 17% figure is just from the 43 studios that go through their programme – the New Zealand video game industry is actually 200 studios strong. 

Cole believes that when the New Zealand Game Developers Association releases their revenue figures in September, their growth may hit 30%, or even 40%. 

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