European video games and immersive content
Creative Europe · CREA-MEDIA-2027-DEVVGIM
Grants for European video game studios and XR producers to develop concepts and prototypes of narrative games and immersive experiences.
What is this call about?
The call funds the concept and prototype development of narrative video games and interactive immersive experiences with strong commercial and cross-border potential. It targets European video game production companies, XR studios and audiovisual production companies.
What does this call fund?
Scope
The call, part of the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe Programme, aims to strengthen the capacity of European video game producers, XR studios and audiovisual production companies to develop video games and interactive immersive experiences with the potential to reach global audiences. It also seeks to improve the competitiveness of these companies by helping European developers retain their intellectual property.
Eligible activities
- Development (pre-production) of concepts and prototypes of interactive narrative storytelling with original content and/or quality gameplay, intended for production and global commercial exploitation on PCs, consoles, mobile devices and other technologies.
- Only the concept development phase is supported, from the first idea until delivery of the first prototype; the production phase is excluded.
- To count as narrative, the story must be told or shown throughout the whole game or experience, not only as an introduction or ending. The work must be intended for commercial exploitation.
- Applications should present strategies for a more sustainable, environmentally respectful industry and for gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.
Excluded projects
- Puzzle, memory, sports, racing, running, rhythm, social, quiz, party, versus-fighting, word, number and mind games, even with a narrative element.
- Projects mainly aimed at professional education, training or therapy; multimedia art projects and installations; immersive tours, events, music videos and retail experiences.
- Promotional or advertising works, platforms and social networking websites, purely technical tools, reference and how-to works, e-books, and information or transactional services.
Expected outcomes
- Higher quality, appeal, feasibility and cross-border potential of the selected projects.
- A stronger position on European and international markets for video game developers and producers of interactive immersive experiences.
Funding conditions
The grant is a lump sum, fixed on the basis of the estimated project budget and a 60% funding rate, up to €200,000 per project. Activities must be organised in three mandatory work packages: artistic development, technical development, and financing, distribution and marketing. Production of the project must be scheduled to start at least 10 months after the submission deadline. Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €13,500,000
- Maximum amount per project
- €200,000
- Funding rate
- up to 60%
- Call code
- CREA-MEDIA-2027-DEVVGIM
- Programme
- Creative Europe
- Funder
- European Union, Creative Europe Programme (MEDIA strand), managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
- Eligible applicants
- European video game production companies, XR studios and audiovisual production companies
- Duration
- normally up to 36 months
Who can apply for this call?
- Applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in a Creative Europe participating country: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories) or listed EEA countries and countries associated to the programme.
- Applicants must be established in a country participating fully in the MEDIA strand and be owned, directly or indirectly, wholly or by majority, by nationals of such countries.
- Applicants must be European video game production companies, XR studios or audiovisual production companies whose main activity is video game production or development, entertainment software development or audiovisual production. Publishing companies cannot apply.
- The coordinator must have produced or developed a video game or immersive experience commercially distributed between 1 January 2024 and the submission deadline, shown by a sales report; work-for-hire, personal credits and Early Access works do not count.
- The coordinator, or one of the partners in a consortium, must own the majority of the rights to the project, backed by a dated and signed contract by the deadline.
- Single applicants may apply, as may consortia of at least 2 beneficiaries.
- An applicant may submit only one proposal as coordinator across this call and the MEDIA co-development, slate development and mini-slate development calls, but may also be a partner in other applications.
- Natural persons cannot apply, except self-employed sole traders. EU bodies other than the Joint Research Centre cannot take part, and entities subject to EU restrictive or conditionality measures are excluded.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
2 February 2027 (89 days)
2 February 2027, 17:00 CET (Brussels time)
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the official call documents. Official call page Last updated 6 October 2026.