Hello and welcome to The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly.
I’m Akasha Viandri.
This is where we slow down the headlines and make sense of the stories shaping our region.
Recently, there has been talk that President Prabowo plans to restrict certain online games, after several incidents involving students that ended in tragedy.
Prabowo’s argument is familiar, games have a negative impact and they influence the behaviour of the younger generation.
Well, it’s no surprise, games often end up being the scapegoat.
But today, instead of blaming the scapegoat, we’re going to look at the goat itself. How big this industry really is, and what it could mean for Indonesia’s economy?
🎣 The Hook
Let’s start with a quick snapshot.
Indonesia is one of the most game-obsessed countries in the world.
Take a look around you, wherever you go, while you are minding your own business, you will find some people playing games.
Yeah’s only one or two, you say.
But if you put it all together, gamers across all the islands, the number is massive.
We are talking over 192 million gamers here. Surprised? Me too.
By 2025, the domestic gaming market is projected to reach 2.5 billion US Dollars.
That is huge, we are giant game players. But we are not a game-making powerhouse.
Local developers capture only a tiny slice of that pie. You can barely taste it.
This is because most of the games Indonesians love are published and controlled by big foreign companies, accounting 99.5% of market revenues.
One of the major players, Tencent’s Level Infinite even calls us “a growth goldmine”
But what’s the point of sitting on a goldmine if you barely have the tools to dig it?
So, the question is, can Indonesia also benefit from this goldmine? Of course, but not simple.
🧭 The Story of Challenges
Let’s imagine this. It’s almost midnight.
A team of Indonesian developers is still in front of their screens, fine-tuning a character, fixing annoying bugs. With the passion they have, they keep going while facing obstacles.
First, funding.
So while players are on “easy mode,” local studios are trying to develop a game on “hard mode.
Many depend on personal savings or foreign funding, if they are lucky, to just keep the lights on.
Second, Talent gaps.
The creativity is there, but deep technical expertise, especially in programming, production, and project management, is still in short supply.
Third, a frequent regulation flux.
Even so, thank God that our government has stepped out of spectator mode and introduced a new Presidential Regulation, treating gaming as a strategic industry.
But the thing is, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have also rolled out tax incentives, esports infrastructure, and digital incubators to attract studios.
So the game is on.
✨The “Growing Goldmine”
Despite the worries, a report says Indonesia is “on track” to lead a force in the gaming scene, if developers, investors, and government bodies all play in the co-op multiplayer mode.
The first goal? Protect your own base while pushing forward, like your favorite mobile legends match, but in a good way.
Agate International, Indonesia’s largest studio and a regional leader in game development, has its co-development project, Rifstorm, listed among the 50 most-played games on Stream Next Fest 2025.
I guess we really are on track, aren’t we?
And how can we ignore this potential?
The gaming industry is ranked as the sixth-highest growth potential in Indonesia’s creative economy subsector.
Indonesia’s esports scene continues to soar through competitions, gaining more recognition and becoming more inclusive.
On top of that, around 70% of Indonesians are mobile-first users, and the population is predominantly young
It’s not exaggerated that we are called the goldmine in the global gaming industry.
📩 The Wrap
Another important element in developing Indonesia’s gaming industry is the gamer.
So next time you see local games, give it a try, and leave some feedback, so we can grow this industry together.
I’m Akasha Viandri, and this has been The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly, where we slow down the noise and follow the region’s compass.
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter at thesoutheastasiadesk.com and join us again next weekend for stories to linger over, one weekend at a time.
(AKS/ELS)
