The gaming industry is booming, and it’s one of the most dynamic sectors in Lisboa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The city’s first gaminghub, launched by Unicorn Factory Lisboa, opened its doors in 2024 and is fully dedicated to this creative industry. A partnership between the Lisboa City Council (CML) and major players like Fortis Games, the Portuguese Video Game Developers Association (APVP), and Maleo resulted in a space designed to support game studios and startups, fostering their growth as well as the growth of the wider community.
This very hub—one of four vertical hubs in Lisboa connected to UFL—was the setting for the March edition of the Lisboa Innovation Tour. One year after its inauguration, the Gaming Hub, located in the Saldanha area, is now home to 40 companies employing 240 people, 80 of whom work on-site at the building on Avenida da República.
On the day of the tour, the gaming community was strongly represented at the event, gathering for a roundtable discussion featuring Ana Waddington Bettencourt, Manager Producer at Super Evil Megacorp; Miguel Jacinto, Co-founder & Studio Director at Phat Finger; and Pedro Cabaço, Co-founder & CEO at Volt Games. They shared insights on the challenges and opportunities that gaming brings to Lisboa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The discussion was moderated by Carolina Rocha, Player Community Lead at Fortis Games.
Before the roundtable, students from the game development and game design programs at Universidade Lusófona de Lisboa gave an energetic pitch presentation, showcasing projects developed as part of their undergraduate degrees.
For these young students, the biggest challenges of their professional lives are still ahead. For Lisboa’s economy, the gaming sector already represents one of the most promising growth areas. “This is a booming industry, and Lisboa has the right conditions to attract talent. We have sunshine, good food. The only downside is still some bureaucracy in setting up new companies,” said Ana Waddington, pointing out the lack of a legal framework tailored to this specific field.
When it comes to employment opportunities in the gaming sector in Lisboa, Pedro Cabaço offers a relatively optimistic view: “Hiring talent in this field in Portugal is a big challenge. There is talent, but we still lack critical mass and experience. To hire senior professionals, we often have to recruit from abroad. That said, Volt Games already brings in students from universities for internships, and the ones coming out now are very good—they show real quality. I’d say that within ten years, there’ll be a major boom in this community.”
Miguel Jacinto shares a similar perspective regarding the new talent emerging from universities. “Academia is producing highly talented people. That’s why we offer internships to many of these students, and we enjoy doing it. They learn from us, and we learn from them. They’re very versatile,” he emphasizes. He adds, “You need to be resilient in the world of video games. It’s a tough industry, and you really have to love it. Everything evolves quickly.” Miguel advises younger professionals to “invest in your soft skills and work well in teams.”
Pedro Cabaço takes a more pragmatic stance. In addition to stressing that passion should drive involvement in the field, he also argues that those aiming for a professional career should adopt a business mindset from the start.
“Investing in mobile games seems like a smart move because they’re easier to market,” he says.
In fact, mobile games and multiplatform video games are the key trends in the industry right now—and they’re here to stay. “Portugal, like Turkey—whose ecosystem is quite similar to ours—is specializing in mobile games. People mainly want portability in games.”
And the industry is ready to deliver. Pedro Cabaço sums up this growing trend with a motto that’s quickly gaining ground: “Mobile games – cheaper, faster, easier.”
