NZ On Air Announces Second-Year GDSR Recipients — Showing Improved Economic Value And Job Creation
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 were on the right track.
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.
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.
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