A regional ambition
Hokky Situngkir, the ministry's director general of informatics application, outlined the goal in Badung, Bali, on October 12, 2024. He described Indonesia as one of Southeast Asia's largest gaming markets, with much of its potential still untapped, and cited more than US$1.6 billion in national gaming industry income in 2023 as evidence of its economic importance.
Situngkir said gamers accounted for 55.6% of Indonesians, including more than 35 million active online players. He pointed to those figures as a sign of gaming's place in everyday life. Citing an estimated US$1 billion esports market, he also said Indonesia was ready to compete globally.
A later report from Tencent and Access Partnership placed Indonesia's share of the Southeast Asian video game industry's economic contribution at 21%, equal to Thailand's. Malaysia led with 31%, while Singapore accounted for 16% and the Philippines for 12%. The report was presented in Jakarta on October 22, 2026.
The domestic market remained largely in foreign hands, according to 2025 data from the Indonesian Game Association, or AGI, cited by Kompas on October 23, 2026. Local developers held about 2.5% of the market; foreign publishers and developers accounted for the other 97.5%.
Revenue and employment forecasts
PwC's Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2025–2029 projected that Indonesia's gaming and esports revenue would reach US$2.4 billion in 2029. In a September 2, 2025, release, PwC reported a 3.1% market contraction in 2023, followed by a 9.7% recovery to US$1.6 billion in revenue in 2024. It expected growth to peak at 12.5% in 2025, then range from 5.5% to 9.2% annually through 2029.
Tencent and Access Partnership presented another set of estimates in "The Video Game Industry: Unlocking the Next Level of Economic and Social Development in Southeast Asia." Under its accelerated-growth scenario, Indonesia's video game industry could deliver up to US$3.3 billion in economic value and support 476,600 jobs by 2030.
That report also estimated revenue of US$1.3 billion by the end of 2025, equivalent to 0.12% of Indonesia's gross domestic product, and employment supported by the industry at 257,400 jobs.
For the player base, Newzoo's Global Games Market Report had projected 175 million active gamers in Indonesia by 2025, representing 45% of the population. Kompas cited that projection on October 23, 2026.
Developing talent and business connections
The Indonesia Game Developer Exchange, or IGDX, was one of the ministry's efforts to develop the sector. Held October 10–12, 2024, in Kuta, Badung, Bali, it brought together gamers, developers, artists, investors and government officials, according to Situngkir. The event sought to help participants exchange knowledge, collaborate and find business opportunities.
The ministry's work with other ministries also covered training young talent, expanding developers' capabilities, sharing information about gaming careers and arranging international business meetings through events such as IGDX. The goal was to develop more prospective game developers with stronger portfolios who could go on to establish businesses.
Tencent separately backed GAMESEED, an incubation and competition program, in 2025. The program attracted around 1,600 participants and produced 240 game prototypes, Kompas reported.
During the fourth season of the Honor of Kings Invitational in Jakarta, held January 31–February 8, 2026, Tencent announced approximately US$6 million in support for Indonesia's gaming ecosystem program. The support included incentives, revenue sharing and creative resources for local creators and esports talent.
A proposed financing option
Presidential Regulation No. 19 of 2024 on the Acceleration of National Gaming Industry Development established the legal foundation for Indonesia's gaming ecosystem strategy.
As of Kompas' October 23, 2026, report, the Ministry of Creative Economy was expediting a revision of the regulation. One proposed change would let gaming companies use intellectual property as collateral for bank loans, giving them an alternative source of financing.
