by FilmInk Staff
South Australia’s video games industry is being supercharged with the return of the South Australian Film Corporation’s (SAFC) Digital Games Fund (DGF) delivering a $1 million boost for local developers – the biggest pool of game development funding in South Australia’s history.
Launched in October 2025, the inaugural round of the DGF saw 11 South Australian game studios share in $500,000 to power the development of original, innovative video games, a number of which have already gone on to successful commercial release.
Building on that success, the second round of the DGF has doubled the amount of funding available to a groundbreaking $1 million – the state government’s largest-ever single investment in game development funding – helping local developers and studios grow their businesses and increase the number of South Australian video games in the global marketplace.
Now offering three funding streams, SA game developers can apply for up to $30,000 in pre-production funding, supporting prototyping, proof of concept, early design and market testing; up to $150,000 in production funding, supporting projects headed for commercial release; or up to $50,000 in post-release funding, supporting localisation, porting or other work that extends the commercial life of a game post-release.
The SAFC DGF has already proven a highly successful games development accelerator, with a number of exciting SA games from the program’s pilot year winning fans worldwide. Retro AFL themed game Pro Jank Footy from Powerbomb Games and Tinkertown went to No.1 on Nintendo Switch on its August release and is also available globally on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam, while Bad Plan Studios’ End of Ember has scored a publishing deal with Thailand-based Rising Tide Publishing. Little Bandit’s The Troll & The Witch’s House and Peppermint by emerging SA studio Cowboy Fish were both selected for exhibition at this week’s PAX Aus event in Melbourne, and are currently available for gamers worldwide to wishlist on Steam.
Further boosting its support for the sector, the SAFC is also launching a new Games Studio Placement Program, supporting paid employment opportunities for emerging and mid-career developers within local game development studios.
Through the program, eligible SA studios will be able to apply for subsidised salary and superannuation support for a six or 12 month full-time staff placement, helping them diversify and grow their teams while giving local developers the opportunity to hone their skills and build their careers.
Boosted by the expanded DGF and the new Studio Placement program, the SAFC’s enhanced games sector support creates a new pathway for local developers and studios to access the agency’s existing SA Video Game Development (VGD) Rebate, which backs larger-scale games through a 10% rebate claimable on eligible projects with a minimum SA 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 40 South Australian video games including global titles across mobile, PC and console for giants such as Nintendo and Microsoft.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Arts Kyam Maher MLC said: “The Labor Government is proud to back our world-class video games industry through the SAFC’s expanded $1 million Digital Games Fund, giving local developers more opportunities to create ambitious, globally competitive games right here in South Australia. As the state government’s largest-ever single investment in game development funding, this groundbreaking grants program will enable more South Australian developers and studios than ever before to bring their creativity and entrepreneurship to the world.”
SAFC Acting CEO Leanne Saunders said: “The SAFC is delighted to double down on our support for South Australia’s video game sector with a second round of our Digital Games Fund offering twice the funding opportunities for local developers and studios to bring their new and innovative games to life.
“In addition, our new Games Studio Placement Program is an investment in both people and businesses, helping South Australian games studios grow their teams while giving the next generation of developers an opportunity to establish themselves in the industry.
“With the success of DGF funded titles like Pro Jank Footy already showcasing the innovation coming out of South Australia’s games sector, we can’t wait to see what’s next from our talented local industry.”
The SAFC’s Digital Games Fund will open for applications on Wednesday 21 October, while the Games Studio Placement Program will open later in 2026. Guidelines for the DGF are now available for download from safilm.com.au/games
