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South Australia’s video game sector levels up with new $100,000 Digital Games Fund grants and the return of SAGE: SA Game Exhibition
23 October 2025
South Australian video game developers will get a $100,000 opportunity to level-up their businesses with the South Australian Film Corporation’s (SAFC) new Digital Games Fund now open for applications.
Building on its support for one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, the SAFC’s new pilot fund is designed to boost the development of original, innovative South Australian video games, help local game development studios to grow their businesses, and increase the number of South Australian video games in the global marketplace.
Grants of up to $100,000 will be available to South Australian digital game developers and studios looking to take their video game projects to the next level, assisting them to progress their game towards its next significant development milestone, from prototype through to final release.
Announced today by Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP at a special event for members of South Australia’s game development sector, the pilot program of the Digital Games Fund has been welcomed as an important step towards building a sustainable, long-term model of support for local game creators. The program is set to foster new and innovative projects with commercial, critical and artistic merit, fuelling SA company growth and helping local teams to thrive and expand.
The fund also creates a new pathway for local developers and studios to access the SAFC’s SA Video Game Development (VGD) Rebate, which supports the development of larger-scale games with a 10% rebate claimable on eligible projects with a minimum South Australian spend of $250,000. The first of its kind in Australia when it was launched in 2020, the SA VGD Rebate has to date supported the development of more than 30 South Australian video games including global titles across mobile, PC and console for giants such as Nintendo and Microsoft.
The launch of the new fund comes as the SAFC confirms its hugely popular video game expo event SAGE: SA Game Exhibition will return to Adelaide Studios from 6 – 7 February 2026.
South Australia’s biggest and most exciting video game showcase, SAGE highlights and celebrates the depth and breadth of talent in the state’s thriving video game development industry. SAGE has grown exponentially since the inaugural event in 2023, with a record 3,000+ people turning out to this year’s event to see and play video games from 35 local studios and indie developers, meet the creatives behind the games and enjoy the expanded SAGE Advice panel discussions program.
Rounding out its expanded raft of support for the sector, the SAFC is also establishing a new Games Industry Advisory Group to provide strategic guidance to the organisation across a range of programs and activities, with a call-out open now to industry members to join.
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP said: “The video game industry is a hugely exciting and growing sector full of opportunities for South Australia, contributing $36.2 million to our state’s economy. Our state is home to brilliant creative minds and the Malinauskas Government is supporting our video game developers to take a bigger slice of this huge global industry.
“South Australia was the first state in Australia to offer a video games rebate and now with this grant, we are continuing to strengthen our local industry and boost local developers to create new and innovative games that can be marketed to the world.”
SAFC Head of Production Leanne Saunders said: “We are delighted to be expanding our support for South Australia’s video game sector with the launch of this new pilot Digital Games Fund, fuelling the development of original, innovative South Australian video games.
“This exciting new pilot program forms part of the SAFC’s expanded raft of support for the games sector, alongside the SA VGD Rebate and our annual SAGE: SA Game Exhibition, which we are thrilled to be bringing back for another exciting year in 2026.
“We are also looking forward to engaging closely with the sector through our new Games Industry Advisory Group which will provide strategic guidance across a range of SAFC programs and initiatives.”
The Digital Games Fund is now open for applications at safilm.com.au/games
Expressions of interest are open now for South Australian game developers and studios to exhibit at SAGE 2026 – go to sagameexhibition.com for more details.
Expressions of interest are also open for South Australian games industry members to join the SAFC’s new Games Industry Advisory Group. Go to safilm.com.au/games for more information.
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