Localization in the Brazilian Market: Personal Experience and Advice for Developers

Alcir Marques, Localization Manager at Jagex, was born and raised in Brazil. He knows better than most what kind of localization is required for this audience and what’s worth keeping in mind to make sure your project comes across naturally. We found out how Brazil’s gaming industry developed and what developers should know to captivate and earn the respect of Brazilian gamers. 

How the gaming industry developed in Brazil

Over the past twenty years, Brazil’s gaming industry has seen significant growth. At first, its development was hampered by high taxes on importing consoles and games themselves—their price made them a luxury. This reality, in turn, motivated development, which in turn motivated piracy. In those days, illegal copies were often the only means of playing new games. I got to experience all this personally. 

However, the advent of mobile platforms and online digital distribution services have made games much more accessible. The Internet has also improved, and increasingly more Brazilians are now into online gaming and no longer rely on the computer clubs where we previously went to play with our friends over LAN. Little by little, an impressive gaming community has formed—especially as far as esports are concerned. Today, the passionate Brazilian audience accounts for the largest gaming market in Latin America. 

The battle for localization in the early ’00s

During the ’00s, localization in Brazil was in a dire state. Most games were either in English or, at best, they were translated into European Portuguese, which doesn’t always work here due to linguistic and cultural differences. This prevented a lot of players from fully enjoying games—especially if they didn’t speak English. 

I have clear memories of playing games as a kid and having to make do without a translation. It drove me up the wall at times, but there was nothing I could do about it. Eventually, developers realized the importance of localizing specifically for the Brazilian market. Because of this, translations into Brazilian Portuguese become more common—marketing and in-game texts began take our cultural characteristics into account. 

Improved localization has had a positive effect on the industry: more players feel included, which has led to an increased interest in games and therefore boosted sales.

The Brazilian gaming market today

The Brazilian gaming market is incredibly varied. Thanks to their accessibility, mobile games have come to the forefront. Free Fire and PUBG Mobile, for example, are massively successful here. Console and PC games are pretty popular too, especially sports simulators (FIFA), shooters (Counter-Strike), and MOBA games (League of Legends). However, an ordinary Brazilian family would have to either save up for about a year or take out a long-term loan to get a brand new console. 

As for consumer behavior, Brazilians are making more and more in-game purchases and microtransactions. Free-to-play games that feature monetization in the form of paid cosmetic items or battle passes perform well. The younger generation is especially active in these markets. People are very into esports, which—as evidenced by fan communities and local tournaments—are developing rapidly. This trend is what’s become of those LAN tournaments at clubs that we mentioned earlier! 

Localizing for the Brazilian market: what you should know 

When localizing for Brazil, it’s important to consider the linguistic differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese. There are significant differences between them—in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Even though both audiences would understand both dialects, Brazilian players still expect to see their familiar expressions and slang. This lets players feel more immersed in the action unfolding on-screen. 

Some words that sound normal in European Portuguese can seem old-fashioned or even confusing to Brazilian speakers (Brazilian Portuguese loves the gerund, whilst European Portuguese does not). You can see an example of what Brazilians would class as old fashioned below:

Brazilian Portuguese:

  • Estou falando –> I am speaking
  • Estou comendo –> I am eating
  • Estou indo –> I am going

European Portuguese:

  • Estou a falar –> I am speaking
  • Estou a comer –> I am eating
  • Estou a ir — I am going

Brazilian Portuguese:

O que você disse?  (What did you say?) –> Order: Subject – Verb (use of “você” in informal situations).

European Portuguese:

O que é que tu disseste? (What did you say?) –> Order: Subject – Verb, with the use of the clitic “é que” (use of “tu” in informal situations).

It’s worth keeping in mind that Brazilian Portuguese has undergone a lot of changes over the years due to African, Indigenous (Tupi-Guarani), English, French, Spanish, and Italian influences, while European Portuguese has maintained a formal and structured tone which has been deeply rooted within the language for a very long time.

Cultural characteristics: what’s important to keep in mind

Developers who truly want to connect with Brazilians should pay attention to the key cultural events on our calendar, such as Carnaval, Independence Day (September 7th), and Festa Junina—the June festival. Themed content or references to these holidays are sure to forge a strong bond with the audience. 

Aside from this, Brazilians have an original sense of humor, so understanding our tone and rhythm of jokes is very important for a natural-sounding translation. As a heads up, it goes without saying that political or religious topics should be avoided as these can cause division between the population and compromise a game’s success (Also, try to stay clear of remarks to our national football team, it can hit a sore spot!). 

Checklist for localizing for the Brazilian market

  • Translate into Brazilian Portuguese, not European. It sounds obvious, but this really does matter if you hope to win over your target audience. 
  • Adapt slang and colloquial language. Use expressions that will sound natural to Brazilians. We have an advanced meme culture, and games that adapt to this tend to do very well. 
  • Stay within the cultural context. Ensure that jokes, metaphors, and references make sense in Brazilian Portuguese.
  • Focus on local events. Weave Brazilian holidays and cultural characteristics into the game’s content or marketing.
  • Watch the tone of speech. Brazilians like informal, friendly communication, so avoid sounding overly official unless the context calls for it.
  • Think about different payment methods. Connect to local systems such as boleto bancário to ensure players don’t run into any issues when making in-game purchases (We like to know exactly how much we’ll be spending, so be clear with currency conversions!).