Gamecity Hamburg opens €80,000 prototype funding round, with applications closing 24 September

The details:

• Background – The programme is aimed at startups and small to medium-sized studios, alongside individual developers and development communities. Applicants must be based in Hamburg, or planning to relocate their headquarters or open a branch there. This is the second round of the scheme.
• The substance – As reported by Game Developer, grants run up to €80,000 per project and are non-repayable, covering as much as 80% of total project costs. Applicants have to fund at least 20% themselves.
• What counts as a prototype – It has to be playable and give “a realistic impression of the game mechanics”, the standout features and the technical realisation. The bar Gamecity Hamburg sets is that the finished prototype should be strong enough to win a publisher deal, launch a crowdfunding campaign, or ship into early access.
• How to apply – A consultation with Gamecity Hamburg is mandatory before submission, alongside a short project outline, and any use of generative AI has to be disclosed. The window runs from 4 to 24 September 2026, and submissions go through the programme’s own application page.
• What has not been said – Neither the number of projects to be funded nor the size of the overall pot has been disclosed, and the results of the first round have not been published. The mandatory generative AI declaration is worth noting in its own right: public funding bodies are beginning to treat disclosure as a condition rather than a question, days after Aggro Crab ruled AI-built titles out of its new publishing label.

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