Rovio’s ambitions to become a key player in Barcelona’s dev scene

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Pocket Gamer Connects heads to Barcelona next month on June 3rd to 4th.

In the build up to the event, we’ve been reaching out to speakers and local companies to get their views on the Barcelona games hub and wider Spanish sector.

We spoke with Rovio VP of marketing Luis de la Camara about the city’s development scene, what the government can do to attract more talent and grow the local industry, and the Angry Birds developer’s own ambitions in the country.

PocketGamer.biz: How would you assess Spain and Barcelona’s games scene at the moment?

Luis de la Camara: Spain has become one of the most important countries in the world for the video game industry, especially in terms of development and live operations.

Barcelona, in particular, stands out as arguably the top hub for mobile free-to-play live ops and content development in the West. Beyond Barcelona, other regions are expanding their footprint – Scopely has a strong presence in Seville, and EA employs over 600 professionals in a stunning historic building in Madrid.

What we’re seeing across Spain is a clear trend: major multinational companies are establishing sizable operations here to tap into the incredible local talent and to benefit from the appealing Spanish lifestyle, which is a strong draw for top-tier international talent.

What opportunities do you see in Spain and Barcelona’s games industry?

Barcelona – and Spain more broadly – offers a compelling mix: a strong base of experienced local talent, modern infrastructure, top-tier universities, and excellent connectivity to the US, UK, Europe, MENA, and South America.

Add to that a world-class lifestyle: sunny weather, low crime, international schools, beaches and mountains, rich history, a cosmopolitan vibe, and an exploding food scene. It’s no surprise that we’re able to attract some of the best talent globally.

For companies considering expansion, there’s also a big incentive – expats or Spaniards returning from abroad can benefit from attractive income tax schemes for several years if they relocate for work.

And what challenges do you see?

Honestly, there are no major blockers right now – Spain is low-risk for multinational companies looking to expand. While it’s true that English proficiency used to be a concern, that’s no longer a major issue.

Political instability from the Catalan independence movement was also once a consideration, but that risk has diminished significantly in recent years. Talent retention had become more challenging a few years ago, but after the wave of layoffs across Europe and North America in 2023, the talent market has rebalanced.

That said, we could benefit from more forward-thinking government programmes and tax incentives to support gaming. Countries like Canada and Turkey are ahead of us when it comes to incentives, and Spain has a lot to gain by learning from their models.

Why do you think that Barcelona is such a big games hub in Spain?

Everything I mentioned above plays a role, but I think there are two specific reasons why Barcelona stands out. 

First, success breeds success. As companies like Gameloft, Socialpoint, Ubisoft, and King found success in Barcelona, they proved the city could be a global base for game development and live ops. That created a strong pull effect, and dozens of big gaming companies like Rovio followed.

Second, Barcelona has a globally recognised brand. Since the success of the 1992 Olympics, the city has built a reputation as a cosmopolitan hub with a beach lifestyle and rich culture. That brand equity makes it much easier to attract international talent.

As a Madrid native, I am a bit jealous of Barcelona’s branding, because so many people end up falling in love with Madrid once they actually visit, but we are just not as well known internationally as Barcelona is.

It’s also worth noting that the Catalan government was among the first in Spain to recognise the potential of the games industry and took proactive steps to make the region more attractive for the sector.

What is your outlook for the sector? If we speak again in five years, where do you hope Spain and Barcelona’s games market to be?

From Rovio’s perspective, we’re excited to continue growing our presence here. We started with a small office just two years ago and already moved into a larger space in the iconic Glòries building to support our expanding teams. As our business grows, I can absolutely see our Barcelona footprint growing in tandem.

More broadly, I hope to see cities like Madrid, Málaga, Seville, and Valencia rise as complementary hubs, each developing their own unique strengths.

But for that to happen effectively, we need greater coordination from the Spanish government. Rather than having each region work in isolation, it would be great to see collaboration – even across political lines.

Imagine a future where Barcelona becomes the heart of mobile gaming, while Madrid leans into triple-A console, and Málaga an AI hub, with shared strategies and resources between them.

Finally, as a Spaniard, I’d love to see the entrepreneurial spirit here evolve to match what we see today in Turkey or what we saw in the Nordics a few years ago. That means a mindset shift within Spanish game professionals (especially in terms of risk tolerance), but also policy support from national and regional governments.

What more do you want for the Spanish and Barcelona games scene?

Government programmes don’t need to reinvent the wheel, they just need to follow best practices that have worked elsewhere.

To continue attracting multinationals, governments should offer programs that reduce operational costs. For example, by subsidising salaries for the first few years or covering part of the relocation costs for experienced expats.

To foster entrepreneurship, Spain could offer zero income tax for founders and early employees until a certain revenue threshold is met, reduced corporate tax for profitable startups to encourage reinvestment, or lower capital gains taxes for successful exits.

Free high-quality legal and admin support would also go a long way in helping new companies launch quickly and with confidence, to focus on the art and business of making games.

Who do you see as the key players in the Barcelona games scene?

At Rovio, we have the ambition to become one of the key players in Barcelona’s ecosystem, and we’re working hard toward that goal. But if we look at where things stand today in terms of overall workforce scale, I’d say Scopely and King are probably the leading employers in Barcelona.