Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic mega-project, revealed the five game studios selected to receive funding as part of its annual flagship gaming accelerator ‘Level Up’, with an additional 18 studios receiving mentorship.

Selected out of 23 studios, the five studios will receive critical funding to accelerate their product launch, an additional seven months of mentorship totaling 600 hours per studio, and access to NEOM’s growing global Publisher Partner Network, NEOM announced in a press release yesterday.

The five studios are: Aiqona Productions, Fourcast Studio, Makera, OFF BOX Studios, and Phys.

Toby Evan-Jones, Executive Director and Head of Gaming at NEOM, commented: “Over the past three years, NEOM’s Level Up Accelerator has been instrumental in supporting Saudi Arabia's first generation of game developers through pre-seed funding and mentorship. This latest cycle builds on that success and reflects NEOM's commitment to empowering talented studios who bring fresh thinking to the Kingdom's gaming ecosystem.”

He highlighted NEOM’s pivotal role in driving forward the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and building sustainable, globally competitive businesses as part of Vision 2030.

For his part, Sultan Alobaishi, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said: “The Level Up Accelerator powered by NEOM is a pillar of our gaming ecosystem, equipping startups with the tools, mentorship, and global exposure to thrive. Since 2023, it has become the ideal next step for teams graduating from MCIT’s incubation programs, creating a seamless pipeline that transforms early ideas into globally competitive studios.”

Level Up, driven by NEOM Gaming, is designed to nurture and scale Saudi start-ups for long-term success through a tailored program addressing the unique challenges of running a game studio.