[Industry news] Morocco Gaming Expo reports a record‑breaking third edition with over 80,000 visitors

This is a press release posted in addition to our usual editorial content.

The third edition of the Morocco Gaming Expo (MGE) concluded in Rabat with unprecedented success, confirming the Kingdom’s growing ambitions in the global video game industry.

With more than 80,000 visitors, this record-breaking edition illustrates the rapid rise of a sector long considered mere entertainment, now one of the world’s leading cultural and creative industries.

“Morocco will no longer be just a consumer of video games, but a creator and exporter of stories.”
— Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication

Long dominated by the United States, Japan and Europe, the global video game industry is entering a new phase of transformation. As production costs rise and historical markets reach maturity, new growth drivers are emerging, notably in Africa.

With nearly 350 million players, the continent is now one of the most dynamic markets in the world. The sector generated USD 1.8 billion in 2024, with projections of more than USD 2.2 billion in 2025.

In this context, Morocco is gradually establishing itself as a key player, currently ranking 4th in Africa (behind Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa), with the ambition to lead the ranking by 2030.

A structured and assertive strategy

The Kingdom aims to achieve:

• MAD 30 billion in revenue (approximately USD 3 billion)
• 1% of the global market by 2030,
• and the creation of 1,000 direct jobs, spanning more than 80 roles (writing, programming, 3D animation, game design, AI, marketing, etc.).

This ambition is embodied notably in the Rabat Gaming City project, a future hub dedicated to the gaming ecosystem.

Tangible appeal, spanning investments and local players

Several major announcements marked this edition:

• Pixoul Gaming will open a subsidiary in Casablanca by 2027.
• GameEarly will launch its regional hub in Rabat by late 2026.
• Ivalice Studio, established in Rabat since 2025, unveiled on 22 May its first video game,
• Rogue Fantasy: Ever-Shifting Worlds, at the Morocco Gaming Expo (link to the teaser + link to the press kit), with a growing team and an international orientation.
• On the institutional side, the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) and SMIT signed a partnership around the “Gamification Lab,” an innovation platform dedicated to developing interactive and immersive experiences, aiming to apply video game technologies to other sectors such as tourism, culture and leisure.

The country benefits from a key asset: a young, connected and engaged population, more than 30% of the national total, supported by proactive public policy (training, incubation, taxation, international partnerships).

Strengthened international outreach 

As a strong symbol of this momentum, Morocco will participate for the first time in Gamescom in Cologne (26–30 August 2026), with a 102 m² national pavilion hosting several Moroccan companies, some of which come from recent incubation programs.