Festivals, events and jobs: Florianópolis becomes one of the biggest gaming hubs in Brazil

Known as "Silicon Island" in Brazil, a reference to the famous "Silicon Valley" in the US, the city of Florianópolis is a major technology hub in the country. However, the capital is also a major hub for gamer culture.

Between festivals and events, Florianópolis attracts companies and professionals looking to build a career in the field.

Festivals and events are driving the Manezinho gamer scene

In August 2025, the city of Florianópolis hosted the 6th edition of the Stun Game Festival, the largest gaming festival in southern Brazil. In November, at SESC Cacupé, it will be the turn of RetroSC, the largest event for retro games in the region.

There are only two events in the area, but they are enough to make the island one of the most important gaming hubs in Southern Brazil.

And the result already appears.

One of the largest companies in the area arrives in Florianópolis

In early 2025, Asantee Games entered into a partnership with SC Games (a program of the State Department of Science, Technology and Innovation), to move the company's headquarters to the Greater Florianópolis region.

The news is significant because Asantee is one of the largest gaming companies in Brazil. Its flagship product, Magic Rampage (a platformer with puzzle elements), has already surpassed 10 million downloads on Google Play and over 1.500 positive reviews on Steam.

But there is not only room for the big boys in Florianópolis: Univali students, including students from the Florianópolis campus, showed games at Gamescom Latam 2025, the largest gaming fair in Latin America.

The sector's economic potential is huge for Florianópolis

The gaming market in Brazil generates R$10,25 billion per year and this value is expected to double in the next three years.

Much of this growth is expected to come from the iGaming market. For example, in the first half of 2025 alone, 17 million Brazilians played on such platforms, generating R$17,4 billion in revenue for the sector, according to government data.

The city's greatest economic potential, however, lies not in sports betting, but in casino gaming.

For example, there are currently several casinos that offer users the chance to play MinesThe game is developed by Spribe, a European company specializing in casino games. In this case, the objective is to flip as many face-down pieces on the board as possible without finding any explosive mines. Finding one will result in a lost round.

In 2023, according to international market estimates, Spribe earned around $17 million. In 2024, the figure reached $37 million. Similar cases could also occur in Florianópolis, even though the region's companies currently focus on developing games outside the iGaming market.

The next level for Silicon Island

The foundation is already solid: Florianópolis breathes gamer culture through its festivals, university talent, and the attraction of large companies, such as Asantee Games, in addition to the creation of new businesses.

By combining local creative infrastructure with this massive economic opportunity, “Silicon Island” not only secures its place on the map, but positions itself to lead the next big wave of the gaming industry in Brazil.