NYU Game Center Incubator
Sports, Media & Gaming · Run by NYU Game Center · Brooklyn, NY
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Sep 28, 2026- Terms model
- MixedA blend of the models above. Read the terms notes for the specifics.
- Investment
- $15,000 per team
- Equity taken
- Not publishedYear-long, part-time incubator for independent game projects run by the NYU Game Center, open to outside teams with support from an Empire State Development grant. The 2026 to 2027 cohort runs September 2026 to August 2027, with in-person workshops and two on-site co-working days a week in downtown Brooklyn during the fall, then remote collaboration. Each selected team receives $15,000 per game, a committed executive producer, workshops, advisory board meetings and festival exposure. Instead of equity, teams sign a revenue share with NYU: no payment is due on release-period game revenue of $30,000 or less, and above that the payment is 5% to 11% of that revenue depending on how much the game earns; development grants are not counted as revenue. The team, or most of it, must live in New York State. Five projects were selected for 2025. Applications for the 2026 to 2027 cohort closed June 5, 2026.
- Program length
- 52 weeks
- Format
- Hybrid
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
- Cohorts per year
- 1
- Cohort size
- 5 projects (2025 cohort)
- Stage focus
- game projects past early prototype, preparing to launch
- Sub-vertical
- independent games (digital and non-digital)
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- NYU Game Center, Empire State Development
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Year-long, part-time incubator for independent game projects run by the NYU Game Center, open to outside teams with support from an Empire State Development grant. The 2026 to 2027 cohort runs September 2026 to August 2027, with in-person workshops and two on-site co-working days a week in downtown Brooklyn during the fall, then remote collaboration. Each selected team receives $15,000 per game, a committed executive producer, workshops, advisory board meetings and festival exposure. Instead of equity, teams sign a revenue share with NYU: no payment is due on release-period game revenue of $30,000 or less, and above that the payment is 5% to 11% of that revenue depending on how much the game earns; development grants are not counted as revenue. The team, or most of it, must live in New York State. Five projects were selected for 2025. Applications for the 2026 to 2027 cohort closed June 5, 2026.
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Terms in plain English
The NYU Game Center Incubator gives each selected team $15,000 per game, a committed executive producer and a year of workshops and advisory meetings, and it takes no equity. Instead, teams agree to a revenue share with NYU on the game's release-period revenue: no payment is due if that revenue is $30,000 or less, and above that the payment is 5% to 11% depending on how much the game earns. Grants and other development funding are not treated as revenue.
Who this is actually for
Independent game teams based mostly in New York State, making anything from digital to tabletop games, whose project is well past an early prototype and needs structure to reach launch. The core team should be able to co-work on site in Brooklyn two days a week during the fall.
NYU Game Center Incubator application deadlines
2027 to 2028 cohort, expected in spring 2027 based on the 2026 call (closed June 5, 2026): Timing expected, exact dates not yet confirmed.
Verified Sep 28, 2026Source
Frequently asked questions
- When is the next NYU Game Center Incubator application deadline?
- A specific application window for NYU Game Center Incubator is not yet published. Timing is expected but not confirmed.
- How much does NYU Game Center Incubator invest?
- NYU Game Center Incubator lists an investment of $15,000 per team.
- How much equity does NYU Game Center Incubator take?
- NYU Game Center Incubator does not publish the equity it takes, so we record it as not published.
- Where is NYU Game Center Incubator located and is it in person?
- NYU Game Center Incubator is based in Brooklyn, NY and runs a hybrid program.
- Is NYU Game Center Incubator still active?
- As of our last check on Sep 28, 2026, NYU Game Center Incubator is active.
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Sep 28, 2026.