Game Co-Development in Poland: Leveraging Polish Co-Dev Studios to Scale Game Development

As U.S.-based game studios adapt to increasing production costs and competitive hiring markets, many are rethinking their operational structures. A growing trend sees studios retaining lean core teams of 10–30 people in-house while shifting the bulk of development to experienced co-development partners in more cost-efficient regions. Europe, and specifically Poland, has emerged as a preferred destination for this strategic outsourcing, making game co-development in Poland a key pillar of modern production strategies.

As 8Bit, a recruitment partner operating internationally, but established in Poland, we have a deep understanding of the local gamedev landscape. With team members based in Poland and years of experience supporting studios worldwide, we aim to bring an insider’s perspective to the opportunities and challenges of working with Polish co-dev teams.

If you’re considering this kind of support, game co-development in Poland got you covered. Polish gamedev benefits from a mature and world-class ecosystem with a strong reputation for technical quality, creative excellence and seamless integration with Western production pipelines. Its studios have become trusted partners for AA and AAA developers seeking long-term, cost-effective collaboration without sacrificing quality.

Case in Point: Hybrid Studio Models

Studios across North America are increasingly turning to this hybrid model – lean internal core teams driving creative and design direction, while production, asset creation, and support tasks are distributed to external partners. This structure allows for faster scaling, better risk management, and significant cost reduction.

In this model, co-devs become not just outsourcing vendors, but long-term collaborators. Regular communication, milestone-based workflows, and deep toolchain integration (e.g., using the same Perforce repositories, Unreal pipelines, and bug tracking systems) make them feel like a true extension of the in-house team.

Why Now?

With the economic pressures of 2024–2025 forcing game studios worldwide to seek sustainable development models, game co-development is no longer just an option, it’s becoming an industry standard. Many of these studios are actively expanding their international teams and client bases, offering co-dev packages that include dedicated producer support, creative direction, and even narrative design.

This shift is especially evident in the U.S. (and also in some Western European countries), where many studios, facing higher costs, a competitive hiring market, and post-pandemic restructuring, are actively streamlining their operations. Rather than maintaining large in-house teams, they are increasingly relying on co-development partners in other regions to ensure production scalability and budget control.

Poland offers here a unique value proposition: proven studios, AAA experience, and scalable solutions aligned with Western standards.

Why Choose Game Co-Development in Poland?

Access to a Vast and Highly Skilled Talent Pool

Poland boasts a vast and diverse talent pool of seasoned game development professionals, veterans who have contributed to globally recognized IPs and complex productions. From programmers and technical artists to designers and producers, we know as a fact that these professionals bring years of hands-on experience across genres and platforms. The market also holds many hidden gems: senior-level specialists with deep domain knowledge, often not visible on the open market. This expert-driven workforce has played key roles in the success of games like The Witcher, This War of Mine, Cyberpunk 2077, or Dying Light, solidifying Poland’s reputation as a reliable and high-quality co-development hub.

Cost-Effectiveness Without Compromising Quality

Engaging Polish co-development services offers significant cost savings compared to Western Europe and North America due to lower living costs and competitive salary expectations. However, this lower cost does not equate to lower quality. As we already mentioned, but it’s worth emphasizing, Polish game developers are known for their strong technical expertise and creative capability. Polish hourly rates and salaries remain significantly lower than in the U.S. or UK, yet the standard of work, especially in engineering, game design, art, and QA, is globally competitive.

Below, we show engineering annual gross median salaries to illustrate cost differentials across regions. Those interested in deeper insights across departments such as design, art, production, or QA can explore our Gamedev Salary Pulse 2025 – a free industry report packed with data-driven benchmarks and regional comparisons.

Strong English Proficiency and Western Mindset

Polish game developers generally have excellent English communication skills, facilitating smooth collaboration. Their cultural affinity with Western work styles and values ensures alignment with North American and European studios. High English proficiency, overlapping time zones with both U.S. East Coast and Western Europe, and a deep understanding of Western work culture make Polish teams easy to integrate into global pipelines. For teams based on the U.S. West Coast, many Polish co-dev studios offer elastic working hours to ensure sufficient daily overlap. An added benefit of the time difference is that while the American team begins their workday, Polish teams have already made significant progress, effectively jumpstarting the day’s development cycle.

Geographical Proximity

Poland’s central European location makes it easy to travel to and from major European cities. Warsaw, Cracow, Katowice, Wrocław, and Gdańsk all have international airports offering budget-friendly connections to most of the key game development hubs around the world.

Government Support and Business-Friendly Environment

Poland has a thriving game dev scene supported by local industry associations, international events, and an expanding base of studios and service providers. This ecosystem encourages knowledge sharing, innovation, and rapid upskilling across disciplines. Polish government actively promotes this sector through grants, R&D tax incentives, and economic zones that favor foreign direct investment. These programs lower the barrier for international studios to partner with or launch operations in Poland.

Commitment to Data Security and Intellectual Property Protection

As an EU member state, Poland complies with GDPR and offers strong legal protections for intellectual property, ensuring safe and secure cross-border collaboration.

Scalability and Specialization

Polish co-dev studios are experienced in ramping up teams quickly, offering flexible staffing across disciplines – 3D art, level design, programming, cinematics, QA, and full vertical slices. Whether you need a dedicated QA team, a full art production pipeline, or embedded engineering support, Poland offers scalable solutions with consistent quality. Also, Polish co-dev teams are known for quickly adapting to new toolchains, pipelines, and project cultures. Whether supporting a live service model or pre-launch IP development, they integrate seamlessly into external workflows.

Game Co-Development in Poland is a Real Deal

Rather than building expensive full-scale teams in-house, U.S. and Western European studios are finding lasting success by partnering with Polish co-dev firms. World-class game development can happen beyond the traditional hubs and often at a fraction of the cost. Polish companies such as Anshar Studios, QLOC, and Mataboo exemplify this potential, having contributed to globally recognized titles through services spanning QA, engineering, art, and design.

Whether you’re scaling up or looking to extend capacity, we strongly believe game co-development in Poland is well-positioned to help you deliver top-quality games, on time and on budget.

As 8Bit, we are proud to help studios scale and succeed through thoughtful recruitment and team building. Whether you’re exploring co-development or considering growing your in-house team, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to offer guidance, build amazing teams tailored to your vision, and provide warm introductions to trusted co-dev partners in Poland.