February 24th, 2022 – EGDF condemns Putin regime’s war against Ukraine and asks the EU to stand up
1. EGDF strongly condemns the Putin regime’s military offence against Ukraine and calls for international support for Ukraine, its people and the Ukrainian game developer community. Ukraine has been, is and will be an important and essential part of Europe and European games culture. During recent years, we have celebrated a boom of local game developer studios in Ukraine building their own highly successful Ukranian games. Furthermore, for years Ukrainian game developers have helped to shape the European games industry across Europe. There are not nearly any national game developer community without Ukrainian members in the EU.
2. It is time for the EU to defend its core values. EGDF stands for human rights, democracy and European liberal values. These are the values the European video games industry is built on. With great sadness, we have witnessed how the Putin regime has eroded these values in Russia, supported the authoritarian regime to suppress these values in Belarus and used its power to undermine these values not just in Georgia and Ukraine but also in the EU. It is time for the EU to defend its core values, stand united against any aggression from the Putin regime and provide asylum for those who seek freedom in the increasingly authoritarian world.
3. It is time for the EU to double down on being the land for the free. Many European game developers and game developer studios are highly worried about the fate of their friends, colleagues, business partners and subcontractors fighting for their freedom and lives in Ukraine or suffering under the Putin regime in Russia and Belarus. We honour those who stay and fight. For those who cannot or do not want to fight and are forced to flee their home countries, we ask all European countries to provide a clear fast-track for work and residence permits.
EGDF board
Hendrik Lesser – President
Andreea Medvedovici-Per – Vice-President
Koopee Hiltunen – Board Member
David Rabineau – Board Member
For more information, please contact
Jari-Pekka Kaleva
Managing Director, EGDF
jari-pekka.kaleva@egdf.eu
+358 40 716 3640
About EGDF
The European Games Developer Federation e.f. (EGDF) unites national trade associations representing game developer studios based in 19 European countries: Austria (PGDA), Belgium (FLEGA), Czechia (GDACZ), Denmark (Producentforeningen), Finland (Suomen pelinkehittäjät), France (SNJV), Germany (GAME), Italy (IIDEA), Lithuania (LZKA), Netherlands (DGA), Norway (Produsentforeningen), Poland (PGA), Romania (RGDA), Serbia (SGA), Spain (DEV), Sweden (Spelplan-ASGD), Slovakia (SGDA), Turkey (TOGED) and the United Kingdom (TIGA). Through its members, EGDF represents more than 2 500 game developer studios, most of them SMEs, employing more than 35 000 people.
The games industry represents one of Europe’s most compelling economic success stories, relying on a strong IP framework, and is a rapidly growing segment of the creative industries. The European digital single market area is the third-largest market for video games globally. In 2019, Europe’s video games market was worth €21bn, and the industry has registered a growth rate of 55% over the past five years in key European markets. All in all, there are around 5000 game developer studios and publishers in Europe, employing closer to 80 000 people.