OVER the past few years, the video game industry in Ireland has been steadily growing for reasons we will be discussing here.
The iGaming industry, which encompasses professional video gaming events, aka eSports events, is also on the rise, plus more people than ever are enjoying playing on legally permitted casino sites with thousands of computer-generated and live dealer games from various award-winning software providers and game development studios.
Let’s dive straight in and take a closer look at how the Irish video game industry performed during 2024 and whether it fell short of or exceeded industry analyst expectations.
Did the video game industry in Ireland perform well in 2024?
Yes. The video game industry in Ireland had its best-ever year in 2024, generating well over €600 million in revenue. By the end of 2027, expert analysts project that technologies like cloud gaming will help push this figure even higher to around €810 million.
According to the latest reports, more than half of all Irish adults actively participate in one form of gaming from their preferred consoles, smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers, and they play everything from triple-A blockbuster video games to online slot machines and from casual/Indie games to puzzlers and sports simulation video games.
Which video game companies are based in Ireland?
Ireland is home to several small independent game development studios and software providers, as well as much larger, more well-established gaming companies. Examples of video game companies with offices in Ireland are the following:
- Riot Games
- Activision
- WarDucks
- Demonware
- EA
- Playrix
- Pewter Games Studios
- Havok
Others include Virtuous, Keyword Studios, DIGIT Game Studios, Boon Studios Lt, Wildlife Studios, Squareroot Solutions, and Romero Games, to name a few.
Why is Ireland’s video game industry such a success?
Ireland’s video game industry is a huge success and is currently performing better than expected due to several key factors. For example, Ireland is now home to a growing pool of talented and highly skilled individuals, a well-matured tech scene that’s hospitable to startup companies, plenty of support from the government via several initiatives, and an ever-expanding gaming culture.
Over the past few years, Ireland has repositioned itself as a rising hub in the global gaming scene, and the future looks promising.
Tax credits and other incentives, supportive government policies, and local and international investment have all helped the gaming industry in Ireland reach extraordinary new heights.
What are the most popular new video games being played in Ireland in 2025?
Some of the most popular new video games currently being played in Ireland include titles such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Atomfall, Borderlands 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, Split Fiction, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
Other hit titles that are currently trending in 2025 are Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, Civilization VII, South of Midnight, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and Hell Is Us.
There’s also Little Nightmares III, Crimson Desert, Fable, Eternal Strands, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Elden Ring Nightreign, to name just a few.
Conclusion
Thanks to cloud gaming, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and various other key technologies, Ireland’s video game industry is poised to grow even more over the coming years.
Ireland provides a pro-business environment for gaming companies, with many talented individuals gaining their qualifications from renowned universities to specialise in various key areas of the digital entertainment sector, such as art & design and technology.
Ireland also has a strong gaming culture that continues to grow, and as the gaming sector expands over the next five to ten years, it will assert itself as a true leader in the global gaming arena.
