Berlin builds a home for the games industry

With the House of Games, Berlin is pooling the technological and cultural strengths of the games industry

In conversation, Roland Sillmann comes across as someone who prefers observing and analysing a game rather than playing it. “FIFA against my eldest—disastrous,” he says. Too many buttons, too many things happening at once. Yet it is precisely this complexity that fascinates him, along with the processes behind it: large-scale software projects, interdisciplinary teams, meticulous organisation. His conclusion: Games are high tech—and they are economically and culturally relevant.

Berlin now wants to harness this potential. “Germany is still lagging behind internationally in terms of competitiveness,” says Felix Falk, head of the German Games Industry Association, or game. “But we’re catching up. The new federal government, with Dorothee Bär at the forefront, is decisively pushing for better framework conditions. Increasing federal funding for games to 125 million euros on per year is a strong signal.”

However, the local industry is no longer competing with just Cologne or Munich, but globally—with North America, Asia and increasingly the Arab markets. “What is needed now is tax support, which is standard at successful locations worldwide, to offset the cost disadvantage of around 30 per cent that arises without such incentives. Then Germany will have everything it needs for games companies to reach the global top tier under their own steam,” Falk emphasises.

Like Falk, the managing director of WISTA Management GmbH Roland Sillmann sees Europe as a space for collaborative design, not an arena for rivalries. Games shape the perceptions, values and digital skills of younger generations. For this reason, Europe needs to remain a fixture and set its own creative and technological standards.

The games industry understood early on how intuitive human–machine interaction works. Control logics from games are now finding their way into digital manufacturing (Industry 4.0), robotics and simulations—wherever rapid decisions, spatial orientation and simultaneous inputs are required. The proximity between skills learned through play and professional applications is particularly evident in defence: People skilled in flying drones typically train with these principles in mind.

With the House of Games, Berlin aims to create a structural foundation for this development. Not a secluded site, but a hub for collaboration: studios, technology service providers, and specialists in audio and motion capture working side by side under one roof. 

The ground floor is conceived as an open space for communication—with studios, event areas and a cafeteria. Above it are rooms for small teams, with larger, customisable spaces on the upper floors. The aim is to create an environment that fosters innovation through encounters, thus rapidly bringing projects to market readiness.

Benedikt Grindel, head of Ubisoft’s German studios, describes it as a “game changer” for Berlin and beyond: “House of Games is a pioneering project for the industry. For a large international company like Ubisoft, a diverse environment is essential for the sustainable development of a location. We need an ecosystem of large, medium-sized and small companies—a genuine digital games development culture.” Falk, too, is convinced that ”the House of Games Berlin is a beacon—for the capital and for Germany as business location for games.”

After reviewing around 80 properties, the House of Games found its home at the Lux Building next to Warschauer Brücke. It combines visibility, an urban setting and a flexible architectural structure. The industrial exterior will remain clearly recognisable, while the interior will be fitted out with a cutting-edge technical infrastructure and a modular design—suitable for start-ups as well as larger studios. Security, spaces for retreat, and proximity to educational institutions add further locational advantages. The building thus meets key requirements for an innovation hub with international ambitions.

The House of Games is intended to attract talent, pool digital expertise and generate momentum beyond the games sector—for example in fintech, AI and industrial digitalisation. Those who learn software development processes early on in game studios can later drive innovation in other technology fields as well. For Berlin, this represents a strategic way of retaining international skilled professionals over the long term.

“Our expertise lies in building innovation environments and providing reliable conditions for development,” says Sillmann. To do so, WISTA works closely with the Berlin Senate, Ubisoft, the industry association game and an emerging tenants’ advisory board. This body is to safeguard quality and oversee how key players align with the culture of the House. Providers with questionable content will not be admitted—openness and fairness are core principles.

For the general public, the House of Games will primarily be a symbol rather than a venue for regular visitors. Nevertheless, it is meant to be visible—as a sign that games are a significant economic factor, creating value, enabling innovation and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.

In ten years’ time, Sillmann expects the building may already be too small. By that time, the House of Games should have become a household name—a place where gaming, technology and industry work together on new solutions. It will likely grow in scale and scope—but it will stay deeply rooted in Europe’s innovation landscape.

Rico Bigelmann for Potenzial

• WISTA Management GmbH - Commercial location development and business promotion in Berlin
• game – German Games Industry Association
• Ubisoft