On August 26, 2024, Xsolla and Savvy Games Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance video-game development and create economic opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. It is a announced plan, not a completed project. The announcement disclosed no investment amount, and its headline figure of 3,600 new video-game-industry jobs is a target for the end of 2030, not a count of jobs created.
What the two companies agreed to
An MoU is a statement of shared intent that sets out areas of cooperation. The announcement from Xsolla, a game commerce and backend services company, describes a partnership with Savvy Games Group, the Saudi-owned games holding company, aimed at developing the local games sector. The release presents the arrangement as a strategic partnership. It does not describe an acquisition, an equity stake, or a funding commitment with a dollar figure attached.
The initiatives, and what public sources show so far
The announcement lists five areas of work. The table below separates what was proposed from what the reviewed official sources confirm as delivered. Where a source is silent, the cell says so.
| Initiative in the MoU | What was announced | Public evidence as of this review |
|---|---|---|
| Xsolla Savvy Game Development Academy, with incubator and accelerator programs | Establish the academy and programs to support local and international studios | Savvy’s 2024 annual report confirms the MoU and describes the academy as aimed at developer training. Not stated: whether the academy, or any incubator or accelerator cohort, has launched. |
| Industry events | Explore events for business and consumer audiences | Not stated. |
| Funding and investor connections | Explore funding for game-development projects and links between local studios and international investors | Not stated. No investment amount or completed deal is disclosed. |
| Xsolla regional headquarters in Riyadh | Product, development, technology, customer-support and business-development services | Savvy’s Saudi ecosystem page lists Xsolla as a current partner. It does not confirm that the Riyadh office is operating or which services it provides. |
| 3,600 new video-game-industry jobs | A target to be reached by the end of 2030 | The same ecosystem page presents the figure as a future goal. No count of jobs created is published. |
Reading the 3,600-job target
The figure is the most quoted number from the deal, so it is worth reading carefully. It is a forward target with a deadline four years after the signing. The announcement uses the phrase “foster” new jobs, and the reviewed sources do not explain how jobs would be counted, whether they would be direct Xsolla roles or jobs across the wider Saudi and regional studio base, or whether interim milestones were set. Without those definitions, the target cannot be checked against any later figure.
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The target also does not indicate progress. A partner listing that repeats the number as a goal shows that the ambition is still being communicated, but it does not show how far along the work is.
Status as of October 2026
The most recent material available for this review does not settle the question. Savvy’s 2024 annual report confirms that the MoU was signed and describes its academy aim, but it was written as a yearly report rather than as an implementation update for this agreement. Savvy’s current media centre shows ongoing ecosystem activity into 2026, yet it contains no status report on the Xsolla agreement.
Rank #2
In practical terms, the following are established from official sources: the MoU was signed on August 26, 2024; its scope covers the academy, incubator and accelerator work, events, funding exploration, and a Riyadh office; and the 3,600-job figure is a 2030 goal. The following are not established: how many jobs exist because of the agreement, which initiatives have been completed, and whether the Riyadh office is operating.
Corporate chief executive’s view
Brian Ward, chief executive of Savvy Games Group, said in Xsolla’s announcement: “This partnership with Xsolla represents a significant step forward in our mission to elevate Saudi Arabia’s games and esports ecosystem to global prominence.” That is a statement of the partner’s strategic rationale. It is not independent evidence that the outcomes described have been achieved.
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For readers who follow the games industry as an investment theme, a career path or a business sector, this deal is a useful test case for separating an announcement from a result. The questions below apply to most partnership announcements of this kind.
- Is money attached? Look for a disclosed amount, a funding vehicle, or a signed investment. Here, the announcement discloses none.
- Is the number a target or a result? A figure with a future deadline is a goal. Check whether a later report confirms it.
- How is the number counted? Confirm whether it covers direct hires, indirect roles, or the whole sector, and whether it is measured by the partner or by an independent party.
- Are there interim milestones? A four-year target without dated checkpoints gives no early warning if progress stalls.
- Does a partner listing confirm delivery? A logo on a partner page confirms a relationship, not the operation of the programmes it describes.
Bottom line on this deal
The Xsolla and Savvy Games Group MoU is a documented plan with a named target, not a reported investment or a verified jobs outcome. Its value for readers is in the scope it sets out and the date by which its goal is measured. Until Savvy or Xsolla publishes implementation details or job counts, the 3,600-job figure should be read as an aspiration.
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