NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment and NYC Economic Development Corporation Announce New Investments in City’s Digital Games Industry
Over $1 Million Allocated to Workforce Development Programs, Support for Independent Video Game Developer Business Growth, and More, Cementing NYC as a Global Industry Hub
Application Periods Now Open For: NYU Game Design Incubator Program – Deadline 2/28
Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition – Deadline 3/7
NEW YORK, NY—NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman, and NYC Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball today announced new investments being made in 2025 to help cement NYC’s role as a global hub for the digital games industry. The investment totals over $1 million and includes support for programs such as the Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs ESports Competition, the ‘Made in NY’ Animation Training Program, and the Game Design Future Lab within NYU Tandon Future Labs. Additional investments, research and partnership with private businesses all ladder up to Mayor Adams commitment to creating jobs in the Digital Games industry, as first outlined in the “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City's Economic Recovery” plan and in the just announced initiative “New York City's Artificial Intelligence Advantage: Driving Economic Growth and Technological Transformation.”
Additionally, the NYC Economic Development Corporation has compiled new data indicating growth of the digital games industry in NYC. In follow up to the first-ever New York City Digital Games Industry Economic Impact Report, commissioned by MOME in 2021 to reveal that the industry generated $2 billion in economic impact, supported 7,600 jobs and was composed of 200 game development studios in 2019, NYCEDC has since compiled new data, updating the numbers to reveal an increased economic impact of $2.6 billion (+30%), 7,900 jobs (+4%) and 380 game development studios (+90%).
“From animation to e-sports, our administration has worked hard to make New York City the global capital of digital gaming. These efforts are paying off, with the digital gaming industry generating billions of dollars in economic impact and helping drive our city’s record jobs numbers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Thanks to these investments, we will not only cement that position in 2025 but help even more New Yorkers launch good-paying careers in this growing industry for decades to come.”
Investments totaling over $1 Million include:
‘Made in NY’ Animation Training Program
The signature ‘Made in NY’ Animation Project which trained over 10,000 young New Yorkers across the five boroughs in 2D and 3D animation, first launched in 2017, is receiving new investment to provide advanced training to talented, yet economically-disadvantaged, New Yorkers toward internships, post-secondary education, and full-time job placements in NYC’s creative industries. The first four cohorts this Spring will enroll 48 participants in the 54-hour training and certification program.
NYU Game Design Future Lab
Announced in December 2023 in partnership with NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, the application period has been extended until February 28, 2025 to apply for the first-of-its-kind 1-year in-person incubator designed to help digital gaming startups grow by providing in-person staff support, mentorship, networking opportunities, investor guidance, tailored workshops, and office hours. Additionally, an Advisory Board and Game Design Mentor Group were created, both made up of industry leaders who will provide support to the active cohorts. Six to eight game developers will be selected for the first cohort.
CUNY’s first-ever Bachelor's Degree in Digital Game Design at City College of New York (CCNY)
First mapped out in 2022 with a $2 million investment toward its design and programming, additional funding has been allocated to support the implementation of the degree program and related events as part of City College Gaming Pathways including: Unreleased Game Arcade (3/8/2025), Waffle Games (4/5/2025) and the Video Games: The Great Connector Pop Up Exhibition (5/3/2025 -- 5/9/2025). Registration for the Bachelor’s degree is anticipated to open later this Spring for the Fall 2025 semester.
Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition
For the third year in a row, NYC will host the Mayor’s Cup Final, the culminating event of a city-wide esports Minecraft competition where NYC’s youngest New Yorkers help shape the future of their city through Minecraft build challenges based in civic planning and addressing climate change. The application period for teams of five K-12 students is open until March 7.
Sunset Studios / Pier 94 Workforce Development Program
As part of NYC’s partnership with Vornado, Blackstone, and Hudson Pacific, in the development of Pier 94, workforce development and training programs in Film/TV, media and virtual production, were given funding to connect local residents to jobs in the industry. An announcement regarding the two nonprofits to receive these funds and administer programs is coming in Spring 2025.
NYC Summer of Games Initiative
Additional continued support for major video game-related events and conferences throughout the year to highlight NYC’s role in the industry, and encourage video game development, including:
- Playing With Purpose Internship Program where the New York Video Game Critics Circle’s award-winning writers teach and mentor disadvantaged youth to build pathways into careers in games journalism and narrative design
- Games for Change Festival support for programming
- Play NYC support for New York City-based developers to demo games
- Game Devs of Color Expo support for the ‘Made in NY’ Developer Grant Award
- Game Developers Conference (GDC) at AI Summit programming and support for New York City-based indie developers to attend the summit
“The Adams Administration has been dedicated to establishing New York City as a global hub of digital gaming through strategic investments like the NYU Game Design Future Lab and NYC Summer of Games Initiative,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “NYCEDC, in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), is thrilled to commit a historic $1 million investment in 2025 to build a robust talent pipeline for a thriving creative industry poised to generate significant economic impact throughout the five boroughs.”
“The City of NY is committed to its goal of becoming a global hub for the digital games industry, and these investments demonstrate we are on the right track,” said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. “These new and extended programs with partners at NYCEDC, CCNY, Animation Project, and more will help us continue our efforts to grow a strong local digital workforce and attract game developers to NYC.”
“New York City stands on the precipice of immense expansion within the video game development industry,” said NYU Tandon Vice Dean for External Affairs and Public Relations Sayar Lonial. “The Game Design Future Lab will fuel economic growth, technological and creative innovation that only comes about when academia partners with the public and private sectors. We are proud to team up with NYC EDC on this initiative and look forward to resetting all high scores.”
“The CCNY Gaming Initiative advances our plans to align the college’s educational activities with the most dynamic aspects of the City’s economic development plans. The chance to build up NYC’s gaming industry represents a monumental opportunity, and I’m gratified that CCNY (in collaboration with Hostos Community College) is positioned to provide a public education pathway into these careers. We are deeply grateful for the additional investment that the city of New York made to sustain and expand this endeavor, and know that it will help us contribute to the growth of a vibrant NY gaming industry.” Vince Boudreau, President, The City College of New York, The City University of New York.
“The ‘Made in NY’ Animation Project is thrilled to support NYC's most creative young people toward careers in animation, games and VFX. With few opportunities focused on industry-standard training and workforce guidance, we aim to narrow the existing equity gap by supporting the creative drive, mental health and career success of young New Yorkers. We are deeply grateful to the Adams administration and our partners at the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for investing in NYC's next generation of digital artists and storytellers.” Natasha Amendolara, Associate Executive Director, The Made in NY Animation Project.
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
