Funding of €500,000 in support of the Irish game development industry has been announced at the FÍS Games Summit in Galway.
The money will be used towards a number of initiatives launched by Screen Ireland's Digital Games Portfolio.
This will be managed by Galway-based screen talent development organisation, Árdan and Imirt - the national organisation representing game developers and creators in Ireland.
CEO of Árdan Alan Duggan said the first initiative that will be launching is IndieDev 2025.
"This fund follows on from the pilot initiative last year and is an all-island prototype fund in collaboration with NI Screen," he said.
"Successful teams will be awarded €15,000/£15,000 in support to turn their game ideas into prototypes.
"This fund is a vital opportunity for developers to get early support on their projects and will be a cornerstone of the initiatives for games in 2025.
"Keep an eye out on Imirt and Ardán socials for the application process launching later this month."
Minister for Arts, Culture, Media, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan TD said: "The international games industry represents a huge contestable market, one in which Ireland can excel based on our technical, design and storytelling competencies.
"This funding combined with the recently introduced tax credit for games are key steps along the government's path to developing a national strategy for games."
Jamie Gavin from Enigma Studios won the Rising Star award at the summit.
The Digital Games Portfolio will also be running "incubators" in Galway and Dublin.
These will offer individuals at an early stage in their careers, tailored training and mentorship covering both business and game development skills across 12 weeks.
A pilot development fund is also being launched for Irish game studios. This will target established studios to allow them to develop IP within their work spaces.
Now in its fifth year, the FÍS Games Summit is addressing game production, accessibility, remote work, the "nature of fun", and the challenges facing game developers worldwide in 2025 and beyond.
Pioneering developers, design leaders and creatives from the gaming world have gathered to converse and exchange ideas on the industry’s future.
There will be breakout rooms, roundtable discussions, and games pitching opportunities.
Amongst those attending is international expert Xalavier Nelson Jnr, BAFTA-nominated and Forbes 30 Under 30 game developer.
Irish and international gamers descend upon FÍS summit in Galway where 500k funding has been announced to develop industry here @rtenews @WritNelson #Gaming pic.twitter.com/IS3ghlGO0K
— Teresa Mannion (@TeresaMannion) April 11, 2025
"The industry is on fire and I'm honoured to be in Galway to talk about sustainable development 2025.
"Looking around today I think Irish game developers are well-positioned to become bastions of creativity and innovation at a time when they are needed more than ever.
"These are talented folks with ideas that are flourishing."
Tom Hall of Romero Games based in Galway, is also a key speaker at the event.
His past work on big titles such as Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, and Rise of the Triad have won numerous awards and are enjoyed by millions of players.
He will present the talk, 'Happy Player and The Philosophy of Dense Fun’.
Imirt have also announced Jamie Gavin of Enigma Studios as the Rising Start of 2025.
