Jakarta, August 8, 2026 – Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, expressed his appreciation for the development of local games while attending the 10th Indonesian Game Day (HARGAI) at Garuda Sparks Innovation Hub, FX Sudirman, Jakarta, Saturday (8/8). The HARGAI 2026 celebration serves as a concrete example of collaboration between the Ministry of Creative Economy, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office (Disparekraf DKI Jakarta), the Indonesian Game Association (AGI), and the Indonesian Board Game Industry Association (APIBGI).
Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, tries a game developed by a local developer while attending Indonesian Game Day (HARGAI) Playday 2026 at Garuda Sparks Innovation Hub, Jakarta, Saturday (8/8/2026).
“The applications and games subsector grew by 18.22 percent compared to the previous year. This growth is certainly significant, creating jobs and supported by programs from the Ministry of Creative Economy to increase investment. What is needed is an approach based on collaboration between the Government and stakeholders to accelerate and properly commercialize our games, so that more Indonesian games can enter the global market,” said the Minister of Creative Economy during the panel remarks session.
The Minister of Creative Economy said that strengthening the game industry cannot rely solely on talent development and game production, but must also be accompanied by expanded market access and promotion. The Ministry of Creative Economy has encouraged the introduction of local games through various programs, including featuring nine local games at the Games Corner in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten. In addition, the Ministry brought 10 local games to Gameseed to open up international market opportunities.
“Certainly, the Government is present through the Ministry of Creative Economy, Komdigi, and the Ministry of Trade, alongside continued collaboration with associations, including AGI and APIBGI, to strengthen Indonesian games—not only so that we can become the host in our own country, but also so that our games can reach the global stage. We are optimistic that local games can develop a healthier ecosystem and generate a greater multiplier effect for the economy,” added the Minister of Creative Economy.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
In line with this spirit, AGI President Shafiq Husein said that the Indonesian game industry’s journey over the past decade has demonstrated rapid development, accompanied by various achievements and challenges. According to him, appreciating local games does not mean assuming that every Indonesian creation is always better, but rather providing local works with the space to experiment, learn, and compete based on quality.
“Indonesia is not only a country that plays games, but also a country that makes games. A healthy game ecosystem must, of course, be built so that everyone can grow together. To appreciate means providing the opportunity to try, the opportunity to discover, the opportunity to fail, the opportunity to learn, and most importantly, the opportunity for Indonesian works to compete based on quality. Happy Indonesian Game Day, let us continue creating, playing, and appreciating Indonesia,” said Shafiq Husein.
Shafiq hopes that over the next 10 years, more Indonesian games will be able to enter global markets while introducing Indonesia’s stories, culture, and creativity to the world. HARGAI 2026 targets gamers and communities, local developers and publishers, media and content creators, as well as students and the general public.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Earlier, the Minister of Creative Economy directly visited 15 game studios and five board games that showcased works and game development talent created by Indonesians as part of the Indonesian Game Day celebration.
Held on August 8–9, 2026, HARGAI serves as a platform for appreciation as well as a concrete manifestation of collaboration supported by Dream Forge Creation, Lyto GOCpay, Unipin, Garena, and Apple Developer Institut for Games, with the aim of making the Indonesian game industry increasingly competitive, innovative, and capable of competing at the global level.
The Minister of Creative Economy was accompanied by Deputy for Digital and Technology Creativity, Muhammad Neil El Himam; Director of Games, Luat Sihombing; and Minister’s Expert Staff for Strategic and Inter-Institutional Affairs, Gemintang Kejora Mallarangeng. Also present were Special Staff for Youth Affairs and Start-Ups at Komdigi, Alfreno Kautsar Ramadhan; Director General of Digital Ecosystem at Komdigi, Edwin Hidayat Abdullah; Director of Services and Creative Product Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, Ari Satria; and Chairperson of APIBGI, Mahawira S.D.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
