LogInGame development in Latin America is on the rise, but what's the real picture? Let's explore the facts behind this growth with 80 Level!
Current State
Brazil and Mexico stand out as the top gaming markets in Latin America, with Brazil's gaming revenue reaching $2.46 billion, followed by Mexico at $1.71 billion in 2024. Newzoo data also confirms this, ranking Brazil and Mexico 9th and 10th among the top countries by video game revenues, respectively.
Brazil is home to a number of universities offering game design and development programs. Some of the most recognizable are the University of São Paulo, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and the Federal University of Pernambuco. Key universities for game development in Mexico include the Monterrey Institute of Technology, the National Polytechnic Institute, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Local Experts Spotlight
The game development education in the LatAm region is largely presented by private institutions, with practical training and real-world project experience. In this case study, we will look at the game development education trends and challenges in Brazil and Mexico.
To get the relevant insights for this topic, 80 Level conducted interviews with:
- Daniel Leite Costa, Coordinator and Professor of Digital Games at UniFacisa (Brazil)
- André Leandro, CEO at GAMEscola (Brazil)
- Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Founder of the Professional Institute for Creative Innovation (PICI) and Professor at Universidad Amerike (Mexico)
Universities/schools of our interviewees:
Brazil: UniFacisa is an accredited university offering an undergraduate degree in Digital Games, covering design, programming, art, and business, with a multidisciplinary approach. GAMEscola is primarily a creative school known for its short, focused courses and its assistance with publishing.
Mexico: The Professional Institute for Creative Innovation (PICI) is an innovation-driven institution focused on developing creativity and collaboration between industry and academia. In contrast, Universidad Amerike is a traditional university offering structured degree programs with an emphasis on market-relevant education and international academic partnerships.
The Pillars of Education
Brazil
Universities in Brazil are very market-oriented and actively encourage students to engage with the professional game development community. Partnerships, collaborative projects, and participation in game jams help students build strong industry connections, develop creativity, teamwork, and practical skills.
For example, PUC Paraná, a university that offers a comprehensive game development course, Tecnologia em Jogos Digitais, hosts the Global Game Jam annually, one of the largest game development hackathons worldwide, attracting around 600 participants who create over 100 games in just 48 hours.
André Leandro, CEO at GAMEscola:
In 2025, we started promoting our second game, Firefighter Gaiden, which was developed by two GAMEscola students who created a studio called Topd Games. In 2020, they won a Global Game Jam at PUC Paraná, the third-largest Global Game Jam in the world. And in 2025, they won again. So, we decided to launch the game they're creating.
Today, we're the only free course school in Brazil that has a commercially published game made by students. So, it's clear that when you offer quality education, productions start to emerge.
According to our expert Daniel Leite Costa, UniFacisa has a practice-oriented and market-focused course called Digital Games. It is a six-semester undergraduate program designed to train students in the development of digital games for various platforms. The curriculum covers all aspects of game creation, from concept and design to production and launch.
Daniel Leite Costa, Coordinator and Professor of Digital Games at UniFacisa:
Digital Games course at UniFacisa – the most established program in the North and Northeast of Brazil. We have likely graduated between 200 and 300 game developers, and our alumni are working all over the world – including at Ubisoft, Microsoft, and major Brazilian game studios. At the end of our three-year program, we provide a diploma that, in Brazil, is equivalent to an undergraduate degree. This allows graduates to take public service exams. Within our program, we also create short-term courses lasting one to two months, which generate certificates.
Some Brazilian universities also provide scholarships and social inclusion programs aimed at helping students from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds access and succeed in higher education. For instance, the Vestibulinho Social program at GAMEscola is a social initiative aimed at students from public schools, offering an evaluation based on general knowledge to reward top performers with scholarships covering 50% to 100% of the course fees.
André Leandro, CEO at GAMEscola:
I want to talk about the Vestibulinho Social. It's a project created by GAMEscola several years ago, where we visit public schools to bring opportunities to the students studying there. Today, public school students take an evaluation with us, a test with 10 questions. The scholarship they receive depends on the score they achieve in this exam:
- Score 7 – 50% scholarship (they pay half the tuition)
- Score 8 – 60% scholarship
- Score 9 – 70% scholarship
- Score 10 – 100% scholarship
Real opportunities for young people. And it also shows them that what they learn in school matters. Until last year, this project was fully funded by me personally. But it grew so much that I had to start seeking support. Today, I have five companies helping me with this project: GT Concept Brasil, XP-PEN, Max Racer, Brasil Central de Dublagem, and Logitech.
Mexico
Mexico's higher education enrollment has demonstrated consistent growth over the past decade, reaching approximately 4 million students in the 2023/2024 academic year. This represents a 42,3% increase from 2009/2010.
There is significant growth in the online format of education in Mexico. Online education user penetration is projected to reach 21% with about 32.8 million users by 2029, showing a strong trend toward digital learning across all age groups.
According to our interviewee Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, fundamental elements of Mexican education are its strong industry connections and interdisciplinary approach to training.
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Founder of the Professional Institute for Creative Innovation (PICI) and Professor at Universidad Amerike:
Cross-disciplinary training is a core aspect at both PICI and Amerike.
At PICI, our graduate-level programs are designed to integrate areas such as game design, programming, art, narrative, and production management in a 100% online format. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to simulate real studio environments and develop skills that span the full creative and technical spectrum.
At Amerike, in programs like the Bachelor's in Artistic Creation for Videogames and Digital Media and the Engineering Degree in Interactive Software and Videogame Development, students receive practical, project-based training that combines art, code, narrative, and entrepreneurship. These programs are fully in-person and prepare students from the first semester to build real projects using current hardware and professional workflows.
Government Role
Brazil
In May 2024, Brazil adopted a new framework, which officially defines video games as a separate industry, distinct from general software, culture, or technology sectors. Video games have their own code under the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE), enabling differentiated tax rules and regulatory policies. However, there are still some challenges regarding the relationship between the government and game development education institutions.
- Lack of Gaming Industry Political Representation
Not all Brazilian states currently have established representation or formal associations specifically for the gaming industry. According to industry voices, as of 2025, about 21 out of Brazil's 27 states have regional game developer associations.
- No Federal High-quality Postgraduate Programs
Undergraduate game design and development degrees exist, but postgraduate options are scarce. Master's and doctoral degrees in Brazil tend to be in related disciplines, rather than game development itself; therefore, it may lead to many individuals pursuing graduate education abroad to acquire specialized skills.
- Investment
There is a SEBRAE organisation in Brazil, a leading public-private institution dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business growth, including initiatives for the game development industry. However, most of the support still comes from the private sector.
André Leandro, CEO at GAMEscola:
Right now, we’re working with SEBRAE – they're supporting us in conducting a big survey of the entire market, but direct government support does not currently exist. As far as I know, the state government of Paraná does not have any open calls for proposals related to this sector at the moment. The city of Curitiba recently allocated 5 million reais for cultural projects, and games are included in that, which is already a victory, because up until now, games weren't ever considered. I'm also helping our students and instructors apply, because this funding offers about 50,000 to 100,000 reais to create a game demo within a year. That's a great opportunity.
Mexico
The Mexican government strives to support education in the country. For example, there are several government initiatives related to game development:
- The Mexican government's FONCAET program, which funded over 10,000 students with grants totaling about $25 million last year, supports STEM degrees and coding bootcamps.
- The Coding for All initiative trained more than 20,000 public school teachers and reached over 1 million students.
However, like Brazil, Mexico faces similar challenges regarding government participation and funding. Our experts highlight that Mexican universities receive minimal public funding, relying instead on internal resources and private-sector partnerships.
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Founder of the Professional Institute for Creative Innovation (PICI) and Professor at Universidad Amerike:
PICI has not yet received public funding or government grants to support its game development programs. As a young and independent institution, we have built our academic offerings through internal resources and private-sector collaboration. However, public funding could be a key factor in helping us expand – particularly in areas like curriculum development, student scholarships, and access to industry-standard tools and infrastructure. Government support would also be invaluable for increasing visibility and reaching underrepresented communities across Mexico.
Moreover, raising capital is one of the biggest problems for gaming startups in Mexico. More than half of the entrepreneurs in this industry rely on their own financial resources. For this reason, it is crucial to assist students in building businesses in the gaming sector through incubation programs and grants.
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Founder of the Professional Institute for Creative Innovation (PICI) and Professor at Universidad Amerike:
Government support can also play a role in incentivizing collaboration through funding, tax benefits, or innovation grants for studios that participate in educational initiatives. Initiatives like Creativa GDL and Reto Zapopan are excellent examples – offering incubation, mentorship, and funding to creative projects, including games. Programs like these should be expanded nationally and more explicitly connected to educational pipelines.
Market Dynamics: Private and Commercial Forces
There is a noticeable increase in universities and institutions offering programs on video game development, including game design and development, in the LatAm region. Along with this, a trend arises where education in game development is often seen as a product, neglecting its role in socio-cultural development. As a result, many courses simplify curricula and are structured to reduce costs and attract students.
Daniel Leite Costa, Coordinator and Professor of Digital Games at UniFacisa:
Currently, game education in Brazil is basically sustained by private institutions. There's a strong divide between public and private education. From my perspective, today 85% to 90% of game development education is supported by private institutions. In this sense, we end up with an educational model where private education is often based on principles that treat education more as a commodity or a product than as a pillar of socio-cultural development, which is so important for personal development. Many courses undergo a sort of flattening in terms of curriculum, workload, and structure to make the product cheaper and more attractive.
Another concerning tendency is a shortage of internships and junior positions, with companies filling vacancies internally rather than publicly posting them. This presents a dual challenge where students struggle to enter the job market, and institutions find it difficult to offer them valuable, real-world work experience.
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Founder of the Professional Institute for Creative Innovation (PICI) and Professor at Universidad Amerike:
One of the main challenges we face is the gap between academic preparation and professional opportunity. While we can equip students with strong skills and practical experience, the broader ecosystem in Mexico still lacks a well-established structure for job placement, internships, and long-term studio employment. As a result, many students need to take an entrepreneurial approach – forming their own teams or starting independent projects – rather than relying on traditional career paths.
Strategic Recommendations for LatAm Policymakers and Educators
A comprehensive, multi-level strategy is crucial for the sustainable growth and global competitiveness of Latin America's game development industry.
Targeted Policies and Strategic Support: Implementing focused policies and support systems (scholarships, innovation grants, funding) would be vital to boost LatAm's game development industry. For example, Colombia's Ministry of ICT launched a $30 million game development seed fund in 2025 aimed at supporting women-led studios and AI-driven educational games, boosting the national studio count.
Bridge Between Universities/Schools and Industry: Focus on incentives that encourage students' internships and the acquisition of real-world skills. Expand incubation and acceleration programs focused on creative, technical, and digital industries like Creativa GDL and Reto Zapopan into game development.
Elevation of Education: Developing curriculum standardization and specialized master's degrees in game development can provide advanced training critical to addressing LatAm's educational gaps.