Zynga’s Javi Digiorgio on creative resilience and Spain’s rising games scene

• Zynga’s Javi Digiorgio says that “Spain is attracting top-tier global expertise that helps the entire ecosystem flourish”.
• He will be speaking at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona on June 15th and 16th.

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At Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona (June 15th and 16th), Javi Digiorgio, the associate creative director at Zynga’s Barcelona headquarters, will give a talk on creative resilience and how to keep your team inspired under pressure.

Ahead of the conference, we spoke with Digiorgio about the maturity of Spain’s fast-moving games scene and broader market challenges and opportunities.

PocketGamer: Could you briefly describe your company and what you’re currently working on?

Javi Digiorgio: I’m the associate creative director at Socialpoint, Trinity Studios, which serves as Zynga’s Barcelona headquarters. I oversee the marketing creative efforts for our entire portfolio, ranging from our well-known live titles like Dragon City, Two Dots and Monster Legends to our upcoming New Games pipeline. 

My team and I work closely with our UA specialists every day. Lately, we’re focusing on ensuring our ads match the actual fun of the game, so players get what they expect from the very first click.

What is the biggest challenge and opportunity in the games industry in 2026?

I believe the greatest challenge and beauty of our industry is its relentless pace. In 2026, that challenge is amplified because the speed of progress is faster than ever. This atmosphere forces us to constantly analyse our approach and bring our A-game. 

However, this is also our biggest opportunity: leveraging new tools to iterate at lightning speed and discovering new ways of working that drive us forward through constant learning. It’s a highly motivating environment that rewards those who can marry data with genuine creativity.

How is the Spanish game sector doing at the moment?

Year after year, we see the sector consolidate and mature. We’ve moved past the era where only a few companies were present. Now, Spain is attracting top-tier global expertise that helps the entire ecosystem flourish. 

Local initiatives like GAME BCN and Indie Dev Day are vital, as they facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas. This density of talent is the main driver that has pushed Barcelona to become a reference hub. 

The city’s unique blend of cultural diversity and technical excellence means that Spanish-made games are feeling more global and sophisticated than ever before.

What’s one change you wish to enforce on the industry?

I’d like to see a shift toward more creative conversations and frequent “creative gatherings” across the industry. Currently, much of the sector is focused on media partners where creativity is the primary driver for business scaling. 

I’d love to see professionals connect to share not just results, but the way they view creatives and how they envision creative strategy evolving. Sharing these best practices would raise the overall quality bar across the entire mobile market.

On a personal level, what are you most optimistic about?

I am incredibly optimistic about the “Quality Renaissance” we are seeing. 

It’s easy to lose perspective when you’re deep in a project, but we are ultimately making fun games for people to enjoy. I love the process of testing new hypotheses and learning from them – moving away from pure hyper-optimisation and returning to a player-first mindset. If you believe a new initiative will make the game more enjoyable, pitch it, get the buy-in, and test it. 

Even if a test “fails,” it pushes you to find a better alternative, and that cycle of constant improvement is what ensures we keep delivering experiences that truly resonate with players.

Hear more from industry experts at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona this June – secure your tickets today.