Why Turkey Should Be Your Next Gaming Market？
Why Turkey Should Be Your Next Gaming Market？
A Thriving Ecosystem of Players, Talent & Capital
For global mobile gaming companies seeking new frontiers, Turkey (Türkiye) presents a compelling blend of massive player engagement, vibrant development talent, and robust investment activity.
Far more than just an emerging market, Turkey has rapidly evolved into a strategic production and consumption hub. Bogazici Ventures' latest market insights reveal why this transcontinental powerhouse deserves serious consideration for your expansion strategy.
The Data: A Market Primed for Growth
Scale & Engagement:
With over 48 million gamers generating annual revenues exceeding $800 million, Turkey boasts one of EMEA's most active player bases. Mobile gaming dominates, contributing 60% of total revenue.
Source: Gaming in Turkey - Türkiye Oyun Sektörü 2024 Raporu
Demographic Advantage:
Turkey's young population is core to its gaming strength. 60-70% of gamers are aged 18-34, and 75% spend at least 1 hour daily on mobile games.
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Source: Gaming in Turkey - Türkiye Oyun Sektörü 2024 Raporu
Genre Preferences:
Strategy and Action genres lead downloads on both Android and iOS, while Casual ("Cündelik"), RPG ("Rol Yapma"), Puzzle, and Simulation genres show significant popularity.
Source: Gaming in Turkey - Türkiye Oyun Sektörü 2024 Raporu
A Mature & Diverse Gaming Ecosystem:
Turkey isn't just players; it's a hotbed of development and publishing talent. A thriving ecosystem supports success:
- Established Developers & Publishers: The market features numerous successful homegrown studios like Dream Games, Spyke Games, Peak Games, GoodJob Games, Ruby Games,Joygame, and Lokum Games, covering mobile, PC, and console.
- Support Infrastructure:Incubation centers (e.g., Oyunfor), esports governance (Türkiye Esports Federation), specialized media (Mobidictum), indie publishers (Gamdevist), and esports agencies provide a strong foundation.
- Robust Investment & Exit Environment: The Turkish gaming sector has attracted significant capital:
- $935M in private investments across 132 rounds (2020-2025 YTD).
- Major exits totaling $2.9B, including Peak Games, Gram Gamesand Rollic.
Source: InvestGame
Active participation from top VCs (Bogazici Ventures, Ludus Ventures, Laton VC) and strategic investors(Zynga, SciPlay, Rovio). While Turkey represents ~3% of global gaming M&A deal count, its high-value exits underscore the quality of its studios.
Source: InvestGame
Why Strategic Execution Matters Now?
Turkey's explosive growth trajectory—fueled by its 48 million gamers, thriving developer ecosystem, and record-breaking exits—has transformed it into a hyper-competitive arena. With global giants like Zynga and Rovio actively acquiring local studios, and homegrown champions like Dream Games achieving billion-dollar valuations, the window for new entrants to capture market share is narrowing rapidly.
Simply having a great game isn't enough, success demands culturally intelligent execution and hyper-localized strategies that resonate with Turkey's young, mobile-first audience while outmaneuvering established players. Those who fail to adapt risk being overshadowed in one of gaming's most dynamic goldmines. So, what's next? How to work successfully among Turkey gaming market?
Keys to Succeeding in the Turkish Market:
Entering Turkey requires a tailored approach:
- Validate Rapidly: Test product-market fit via soft launches.
- Metrics-First:Prioritize retention, ARPU, and LTV early in development.
- Plan for Live Ops: Integrate content loops and live operations planning from the start.
- Strategic Publishing:Carefully evaluate self-publishing vs. partnering with local experts.
- Smart UA: Invest in user acquisition, even with constrained budgets.
- Localize for Adjacent Markets:Leverage Turkey's cultural position to adapt content for Arabic and Russian-speaking audiences.
- Monetization Testing: Validate monetization strategies with actual spenders, not just retention cohorts.
Conclusion: Turkey – More Than Potential, It's Proven
The data and ecosystem maturity paint a clear picture: Turkey is not merely a market waiting for the next big hit——it is producing them. With its large, engaged young player base, world-class development talent, culture of innovation, and proven track record of high-value exits and investments, Turkey offers a unique strategic foothold.
For publishers, developers, and investors aiming for global reach, the question isn't if to engage with Turkey, but how soon and how strategically.
Source: Bogazici Ventures - Turkiye's Game Ecosystem and Market Insights