Transparency Report: game Remains in Good Financial Shape

The game association's revenues doubled between April 2024 and March 2025 compared to the previous 12 months, but so did its expenditure. This is according to the Accountability Report of the lobby register of the Deutscher Bundestag.

The Deutscher Bundestag's (German Bundestag) lobby register provides a rare insight into the work of associations. Associations that represent interests at the political level are required to report regularly on their activities and finances. This also applies to game.

This week, it presented its accountability report for the period from April 2024 to March 2025. Among other things, the report shows that game was actively involved in six regulatory projects in various ways and to varying degrees. In addition to games funding, game also issued statements at the political level on loot boxes in games, the regulatory framework for online games, recognition of the non-profit status of esports, and strengthening private legal enforcement on the internet. The association also drew up a list of ‘10 demands’ and addressed these to the Bundestag and the federal government.

The statements on the economic development of game are also interesting. The total income of game more than doubled from 7.713 million euros to 15.932 million euros in the reporting period. However, around €6 million of the increase is attributable to the ‘Press Start’ programme, which was passed on by game and its subsidiary Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur to the funding recipients. As a result, expenditure also rose from around €5 million to €13.5 million.

According to the financial report, in addition to the Press Start project, higher revenues from the cooperation with Koelnmesse also contributed to the increase in sales. At the same time, however, event expenses, which are also related to the brand gamescom, rose. The surplus, which is usually allocated to reserves in associations, declined slightly year-on-year but remains in the seven-digit range.

There were no changes in shareholdings during the reporting period. The game continues to own or hold interests in Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Unterhaltungssoftware (USK), Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur, game events, esports player foundation, VHG Verwertungsgesellschaft für die Hersteller von Games and ICS - Internationale Computerspielesammlung.

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