Visai Games
Abhi (He/Him) is a game designer from Toronto who released his first game, Venba in 2023 and now runs a small studio called Visai games. He wants to tell intimate stories with interesting mechanics and hopes to see more games made from around the world with their own unique perspectives.
Moonactive
I’m a Brazilian artist with over 13 years of experience working as a Visual Development Artist, Art Lead and Art Director for Animation and Mobile Games Industry.
Microsoft
Bryce is an inclusive designer for Microsoft Windows + Devices where he is devoted to ensuring Microsoft products are accessible. Bryce initiated and designed the Inclusive Tech Lab at Microsoft, which has now hosted over sixteen thousand visitors; it is a facility where people can explore how people with disabilities interact with Microsoft products and services. He strives to design systems of accessibility enhancement, like the Surface Adaptive Kit, across our devices. Bryce is one of the inventors of the Xbox Adaptive Controller and a proud member of the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories team.
Valarin, Inc. & Building Better Games
Benjamin Carcich started his career as a military officer before shifting into game dev at Riot Games working on League of Legends. He spent over 8 years there, starting in associate production roles and eventually advancing to director roles He left Riot to start a consultancy in 2020, realizing that his ability to change the industry through better leadership would be best realized independently. He’s been supporting individual producers, game studios, and publishers ever since. Ben spent time on League post-launch (2011-2017) and was on Valorant while it was in R&D. Ben is a certified co-active coach and official ICAgile trainer. He’s been teaching concepts around Agility, Production, and Game Development Leadership since 2015. He hosts the Building Better Games podcast and newsletter and has spoken at multiple events including GDC 2024.
OV Entertainment
Christopher has over 30 years of experience in the gaming industry with companies such as Konami, Atari, SEGA, MTG, and EG7. Extensive work in game development as well as other key operational roles. 20+ years in games M&A and investments.
BIGR Social
A 16-year veteran of the gaming & esports industry, Chris started as a semi-professional player and subsequently worked in every facet of the industry including PR & marketing, journalism, game commentary, player management and much more. He recently ran a global marketing agency from 2018-2022 which included running the world’s largest VR esports event in Miami among servicing client in gaming, esports, crypto and tech. Since this he co-founded an AI startup called BIGR Social that wholly automates social media for small business and joined LMTLSS, the world’s largest CS map maker with over 1.7 billion rounds played across published maps.
Rain Studios
Karan is the founder and CEO of Green Rain Studios. He is an immersive technologist with expertise in real-time workflows. Karan India’s first Unreal authorized instructor and is a master mentor in Unreal Engine’s Virtual Production Fellowship program. Karan is focused on using technology to blur the lines between real and virtual worlds. His areas of expertise include virtual production, animation, games, XR, and simulations. His collaborative works have been displayed at some of the most prestigious art galleries, public spaces and museums such as Times Square in NYC, Artechouse in D.C., The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester NY.
Endless Adventures Incorporated
Jordan Weisman has been a game designer and entrepreneur for over 40 years, creating iconic franchises like BattleTech, MechWarrior, and Shadowrun. A pioneer in merging storytelling, socialization, and technology, he has developed over 30 video games and was an early innovator in VR with his global LBE centers in the 1990s. He founded FASA Interactive, later acquired by Microsoft, where he served as Creative Director for Xbox's launch. Weisman also led transmedia projects like I Love Bees and Why So Serious through 42 Entertainment. After co-founding Harebrained Schemes to develop CRPGs and tactical games, he worked with Disney Imagineering and Walmart on AR projects. He is currently the CEO of Endless Adventures Incorporated, focusing on no-code game development.
Aged Dice Studios
John Kelly is the CEO of Aged Dice, a tabletop gaming startup. With over a decade of experience in game design and executive leadership, John excels in running teams and business units. His previous roles include Vice President of Design at Mayhem Studios, Creative Director at PlaySimple Games, and Director of Product at Wargaming. John has a proven track record in managing game design projects from concept to live operations in mobile and console gaming sectors.
MINTROCKET
Jaeho Hwang is the Game Director of Dave the Diver at MINTROCKET. He has left his mark on games of unique and fulfilling quality, from his first-pixel art mobile action game, , in 2017 to one of the biggest hits of 2023, . His profound passion for subculture also led him to create in 2019.
Remedy Entertainment Plc.
Marco Pisanu is the Lead Game-Tech Programmer at Remedy Entertainment Plc., with over 15 years of experience in game development. His career includes roles at Ubisoft, Guerrilla Games, and Cloud Imperium Games, contributing to notable titles such as "Horizon: Zero Dawn," "Star Citizen," "Control," and "Alan Wake 2." Marco specializes in programming AI engine technologies, focusing on AI decision-making algorithms, pathfinding, awareness frameworks, and other AI features. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
University of Northern Colorado
Matthew Farber, Ed.D. is an associate professor of educational technology at the University of Northern Colorado and the co-director of the Gaming SEL Lab. He studies how playing and making games can foster empathy, compassion, perspective-taking, and ethical decision-making. He developed game-based lessons with Tracy Fullerton for her award-winning Walden, a game EDU and has also worked with UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), iThrive Games, and Games for Change. He was a contributing writer for Origin101, the official learning companion for Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed film Origin. Author of several books, including Gaming SEL: Games as Transformational to Social and Emotional Learning, and articles, Dr. Farber has been invited to the White House and has been interviewed by NPR, The Washington Post, Fast Company, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. Upcoming in March 2025 is a new book published by MIT Press and co-authored with Tracy Fullerton: The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully.
Godot Foundation
Nathalie started her games industry career originally as programming student, but through volunteering at conferences and freelancing in the online marketing field, she found her permanent home in Community Management. She joined the Godot Foundation in December 2023 and has since worked on building up the project's social media presence and leads volunteer teams to support with moderation as well as the organization's own GodotCon event.
Fatus Games & Independent Multiplayer Consultant
Paolo is an 11-year experienced game developer in the multiplayer field. Former CEO of StarworkGC S.R.L, the 50-people gaming studio that developed Hunt For Gods, he's now the Lead Engineer of Ariokan, the Technical lead of Unity's official Small Scale Competitive Multiplayer Template and a consultant for Indie and AA studios that work on multiplayer games.
Frost Giant Studios
Tim Morten is the CEO and co-founder of Frost Giant Studios. He was previously the Production Director of StarCraft II, and he's excited to now be working on a new real-time strategy game called Stormgate. Tim got his start in the game industry in 1994 at Activision, and subsequently helped lead development teams at Electronic Arts and Blizzard.
OV Entertainment Group
With 18+ years of experience in the Entertainment Industry, currently serves as CEO at OV Entertainment Group, a pioneering cross-media company pushing the boundaries of the Entertainment industry. OV Entertainment Group adopts a bold strategy by integrating Games, Films/TV, Advertising, and Technology & Tools under one roof, thus mitigating the risks associated with a single-industry focus. His previous roles include Principal Commissioner of Audiovisual at the National Council for Cultural Incentive (CNIC) and Member of Brazil's Superior Council of Cinema (CSC). In these positions, he played a crucial role in creating and implementing public policies aimed at fostering and developing the audiovisual sector.
Indie Game Academy
Willem Delventhal is a game designer and business founder who specializes in UGC and Edtech. He also happens to daylight as a purple wizard helping people break into the game industry. Willem is on an eternal quest to create a world in which ALL game developers can financially support themselves by making games. He loves working on games in unusual and exploratory spaces, including a friendship first metaverse, scientific games for cats, and an AR dungeon crawling board game where an app acts as your dungeon master.
GFR Fund
Yasushi is a General Partner at GFR Fund, based in the United States, where he leads investment initiatives across North America, Europe, and India. His primary focus is on Seed and Series A companies in sectors such as gaming, social media, the creator economy, consumer brands, fintech, and generative AI. With a solid background in product management, data analytics, and software development, Yasushi plays a crucial role in identifying emerging trends, technologies, and founders for potential investments. He began his career at GREE in 2010, where he enhanced his skills in data analytics and product management, leading several game titles as the head of game development in both the Japanese and U.S. markets. One of these titles achieved $50M in annual revenue. Before GREE, he worked at C.A. Mobile taking a pivotal role as a server-side engineer in the ground-up development of e-commerce sites. Yasushi earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Waseda University in Tokyo.
Scopely
Hello! My name is Álvaro Fernández García, I’m passionate about graphic design and art, and I’m lucky to work in the world of video games. I’ve been designing and creating for more than twenty years, and have been fortunate enough to make great friends and work with inspiring teams on world-famous IPs like Star Wars and Frozen. Currently, I'm working as a UI Lead in Monopoly Go! where I'm enjoying the best team that I've ever worked with. I love graphic design, I love UI design, and I love finding the best solution for users.
Lucid Labs
With over a decade devoted to the gaming industry, Chirag Chopra heads an indie game studio named Lucid Labs based in India. Lucid Labs started in 2015 and quickly built up a reputation for quality and ingenuity based on its award-winning range of imaginative games, such as 'Possessions' on Apple Arcade and the newly launched UGC puzzler 'Bloom.' A desire to push the medium has earned him global recognition and accolades, including six 'Game of the Year' awards, a live featurette at WWDC Keynote, a '40-under-40' Achiever Award, and over a dozen nominations. Embracing the ethos of collective growth, Chirag also leads the Indian IGDA Chapter and finds joy in empowering the community through mentorship and initiatives.
Destroyer Doggo
Prateek is the solo developer behind Destroyer Doggo, a Hyderabad-based game studio. He successfully launched Brocula, a game available on both Steam and Xbox. His achievements also include winning the Developer Acceleration Grant from Xbox. With considerable experience in the game development industry, Prateek is dedicated to creating unique and engaging gaming experiences.
Keywords Studios
As the Director of Art Services within Keywords Studios' Create Division, Tara drives strategic growth initiatives to align with global objectives. Embracing innovation in emerging technology and tools, Tara oversee Keywords' Art Studios, fostering creativity and collaboration within these teams. In working closely with development partners, she champions the professional art services and development capabilities of the teams, establishing Keywords Studios as the premier global gaming partner. With a global perspective on the game industry, a storied background in production, and a strategic approach to partnerships, Tara actively listens, learns, and collaborates to bring the right expert voices to the table. Building and managing relationships with game development partners fuels her passion for delivering the best solutions and services possible to an industry she loves.
Ubisoft Montreal
Chirag Morab, also known as “Tito” is a Graphics Technical Director at Ubisoft Montreal. Originally from Bangalore, Tito’s foray into game development began in 2008, after which he moved to Canada to pursue his Master’s in Computer Games Technology. He has since worked in the industry at companies like Gameloft, Ludia/Jam City and Ubisoft to ship successful titles with world-renowned IPs including Jurassic World, Disney and Rainbow Six. Specializing in Graphics and Technical Art over the past 8 years, Tito has been pivotal in merging artistic vision with technical capabilities. He played an important part at Ludia, defining Tech-Art roles for the organization and leading rendering discussions with Unity’s enterprise support. A passionate community contributor, Tito frequently mentors upcoming game developers and participates in events like Gamedev.in’s Campfire. Outside of work, he enjoys dabbling with Shadertoy, geeking out about mechanical watches, and savoring fine gin!
Marvel Games
With over 20 years experience in the video game industry, Josh has worked on a variety of games. Most notably, League of Legends, Overwatch, Marvel SNAP and Spider-Man 2. He understands the art of making games and loves to share his passion and knowledge. He is currently an Art Director at Marvel Games where he supervises and consults with creative partners working on video games set in the Marvel Universe
Niku Games Studio
Mala Sen is the Director and Artist of Niku Games Studio. She completed her B.F.A and M.F.A from Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan and started her career as a large-scale textile-artist and educator in the field of art. She always had a love of stories and realised that games are an excellent medium of expression. Therefore, she partnered up with Mridul Kashatria and pivoted into game development. Together, they started Niku Games Studio with the goal of making story-rich and cultural games. Niku Games Studio recently released the award-winning and critically acclaimed 'The Palace on the Hill', a slice-of-life RPG set in a fictional village in 90s India.
Mad Mantra games
A bit about myself, I've been developing games with unity for 5 years now, worked for few years in Pune and then moved to germany. I started ‘MadMantra’ in Aug 2023. Kamla was our first project, a survival horror for pc which become the most popular game in India very fast after release. We aim to keep making more dark/horror games as we move forward. Our primary platforms are PC/Consoles. India is on its way to become like China when it comes to games in next few decades. We want to be a major part of that journey!
Little Red Zombies
Ankit Garg co-founded Little Red Zombies and worked as Managing & Art Director for 12 years. Having close to two decades of experience in the 3D art industry, he served as the Art Director alongside his co-founder for over 40 Game titles, including 25 AAA games such as Alan Wake 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, Diablo 2 Resurrected, and Horizon Forbidden West. Ankit’s leadership extended to training initiatives, where he and his co-founder played instrumental roles in mentoring over 200 artists, demonstrating dedication to art and mentorship in the field of art. Noticing a lack of depth in education and driven by his own passion for teaching, Ankit founded Zombie Art School. His goal is to equip all students with specialized skills and discipline for excellence in 3D character art.
Games24x7
Avalanche Studios Group
Hello! I am Kiran, a game designer based in Stockholm. I love creating immersive experiences that bring joy to players and brighten up their day. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to work with wonderful teams with different approaches to design, and I am excited to share my learnings with you. I started my journey into game dev at Zynga working as a Game Designer on Farmville 2: Country Escape, from there I moved to Poland to start working with CD Projekt Red, to handle the meta gameplay aspect of GWENT: The Witcher Card Game. Finally, my journey took me to Sweden to work at Avalanche Studios Group where I have worked on two AAA projects so far, their new project Contraband and theHunter: Call of the Wild. Looking forward to meeting you at the conference!
GamesIndustry.biz
James Batchelor is Editor-in-Chief at GamesIndustry.biz and co-host of the GI Microcast. A journalist since 2006, he was previously editor of Develop and deputy editor of MCV, and has also written for Eurogamer, TechRadar Time Extension, and NintendoLife. He is the author of The Best Non-Violent Video Games, as well as urban fantasy thrillers Wandless and Blow The House Down, and creator of Non-Violent Game of the Day (@NVGOTD) - an account that explores the full breadth of video games. Based in Essex, he does still play violent games (but always on Easy/Story Mode).
Electronic Arts
I am Shalaka, a game designer, and I am currently working in Electronic Arts on NFS No Limits. I aspire to work on different media or games to grow as a designer and a creative individual. I have more than 5 years of experience in live ops and have shipped multiple successful features that have positively impacted the business throughout my five years in the industry. The crown jewel game in my portfolio is the Word Search Explorer Game at Playsimple Games. I worked on it from scratch and it turned out to be a massive hit. My strengths lie in data collection, research, and generating insights coherent with the player's needs and the market. I am adept at presenting them with well-informed ideas and solutions. I like to express myself through drawings in my free time. Traveling has immensely impacted my art, life, and design perspective. I want to travel the world to taste all the delicacies out there!
Scopely
Wilhelm Taht is a seasoned executive with a wealth of experience in online, mobile, and social media industries. He currently serves as Scopely’s SVP and General Manager for its social casino studios and Bangalore operations. Since 2004, Wilhelm has held various roles in the mobile games sector, including sales, marketing, product, and general management. From 2016 to 2018, he successfully revitalized Rovio Entertainment's games division (the creators of Angry Birds) and played a key role in taking the company public as EVP of Games. Wilhelm also lends his expertise as an advisor and non-executive board member to several games and technology companies. He holds an M.Sc. in Economics from Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki.
Ogre Head Studio
Zainuddeen Fahadh Firoz is a prominent figure in the Indian indie game development scene. He is the co-founder and a key creative force behind Ogre Head Studio, an independent game studio based in India. The studio is known for its games like Asura, which gained attention for its unique blend of Indian mythology and rogue-lite gameplay mechanics.
Tamatem Games
Hussam is the CEO and founder of Tamatem Games. Tamatem is the leading mobile games publisher in the MENA region, with over 150 million game downloads, 3 million monthly active users, and over 50 published games. Tamatem partners with international game developers worldwide to bring the best mobile games and entertainment to the Arabic-speaking world. Hussam launched Tamatem in 2013 with the sole purpose of creating games that were in the native language and culture of the Arab region. Early in his entrepreneurial career, Hussam realized the massive lack of Arabic content available online and more so in the world of mobile games. With the launch of Tamatem Games, Hussam’s pursuit of entertaining people with content that they can relate to and more importantly understand began.
Silvine Game Studios
As an individual, I spent my childhood obsessed with playing Arcade, NES & PC games like Contra, Double Dragon, Counter-Strike, etc. The game which stuck with me the most and inspired me to join the gaming industry was the Half-life series. With over 14+ years of experience in the industry, I worked on game genres ranging from casual to hardcore on PC and mobile platforms. I even co-founded an indie studio called "Ogre Head Studio", wherein I developed & shipped Asura: Vengeance Edition (Steam), a hack-and-slash rogue-like game with an innovative skill tree system. Since then, the game has gained global recognition and success. Apart from this, I have worked with external clients from Dubai on service projects related to game development and also prototyped various concepts, including Casual, Arcade, and even RTS games. Currently, I am the founder of Silvine Game Studios, an independent game development studio based in Chennai. I founded this studio along with my co-founders, Aubhik, Ekta, and Vishal. This is my second entrepreneurial stint in the indie space.
AFK Gaming
Nishant is the first founding member of AFK Gaming and has spearheaded its creation and growth since 2012. Under his leadership, the company has gone through multiple successful fundraises and delivered website growth of over 28x in 18 months, and 10 consecutive years of revenue growth. His experience in esports encompasses multiple areas such as content and business strategy, production, commentary, content operations and more. Prior to this, he has held roles in industry research and equity markets.
IGDA Incubation SIG
Sho Sato is the CEO at LUDiMUS Inc., leading specialists group of international expansion for games industries. He is the co-founder and Secretary General at iGi, the only game incubation program in Japan, and the advisor for So-Fu game accelerator by Ministry of Economy in Japan. From this year, he is the chairman of SIG Incubation under International Game Developers Association, a working group for incubators and accelerators in 60 countries. He is an invited speaker at various international events for game developers in more than 20 countries.
IGN Japan
Full-time video game journalist at IGN JAPAN since 2016. I specialize in the Japanese video game industry as well as adventure games with a high emphasis on interactive storytelling. Born in the Netherlands in 1987 but based in Japan since 2004. Previously a karate instructor and backpacker. For the last five years I’ve been working on an unannounced indie game as well.
International Game Developers Association Climate Special Interest Group
Shayne Hayes is a Co-Chair of the International Game Developers Association Climate Special Interest Group (IGDA Climate SIG), an online community of game developers who are passionate about sustainability and climate action in the games industry. Shayne recently worked with the Atlantic Council's Arsht-Rock Resilience Center to publish Heat Wave Survival and Power Grid Hero for Minecraft Education. These free games built on Minecraft's platform help players understand how to stay safe during heat waves and other climate impacts by advocating for community-level action. Shayne developed additional social impact content for Minecraft Education, including Minecraft Hour of Code: Escape Estate, UNESCO's Minecraft Peace with Nature Challenge, and Minecraft Buildability. Shayne recently spoke at the 2024 Game Developers Conference Climate Crisis Workshop and Gamescom Latam's Journey stage about how games are uniquely positioned to equip players of all backgrounds with knowledge and skills around climate change that could be life-saving. If you're interested in being a part of a passionate community of developers who are taking action on climate change, join Shayne and others in the IGDA Climate SIG Discord server! bit.ly/joinclimatesig
Electronic Arts
Arjun, a versatile GM and operations leader, has held several product and business leadership roles throughout his career in video games and semiconductors. At Electronic Arts, he has led teams on many beloved franchises including The Sims, Battlefield, Plants vs Zombies, and Bejeweled with an emphasis on profitable growth through live services, distributed development, and business model transformations. While he is currently based in Seattle, he used to lead EA’s mobile studio Slingshot Games in Hyderabad, and is well versed with the talent, opportunities, and growth of the gaming industry in India.
Ampverse DMI
With a rich blend of talent, experience, and innovation, Sumedha stands out in the marketing field. Backed with a decade-long career, her work is marked by a deep understanding of marketing nuances and audience dynamics, enabling her to craft groundbreaking campaigns and big ideas that set new industry standards. At Ampverse DMI, Sumedha she is leading the India Marketing chapter, crafting strategies that resonate with a diverse audience, fostering a culture of innovation and excitement around esports and gaming, while scaling and setting up the brand.
Ampverse DMI
A history of remarkable achievements and exemplary leadership marks Ashwin's illustrious journey in the gaming and esports domain. Driven by his passion for gaming, Ashwin co-founded GamingMonk, an Esports Community Platform that was one of the first esports platforms that rapidly gained popularity among Indian Gamers. While Gaming Monk thrived under his leadership and later it was acquired by MPL—and after a brief period of business consultation Ashwin joined at the helm of Ampverse's India operations while Ampverse DMI rolled out the most ambitious College Rivals, India’s biggest ever collegiate IP. As a visionary entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, Ashwin is committed to propelling India to a forefront position in the global esports arena. He believes in leveraging his extensive knowledge and network to foster environments where gaming talent can grow and succeed.
Skyesports
Shiva Nandy is the Founder and CEO of Skyesports, with over 12 years of experience in gaming and esports. He has led Skyesports to become a leader in the industry, organizing numerous events and creating successful original IPs. Shiva's background in engineering, management, and entrepreneurship has enabled him to work with major brands and connect with millions of gamers worldwide.
Skyesports
Wasif Ahmed leads public relations at Skyesports, overseeing communications for all its IPs and events across both B2B and consumer sectors. With extensive experience in gaming and esports journalism from his work with leading media outlets, he brings valuable industry insight to his role. Wasif;s expertise spans the full spectrum of PR strategies in the gaming ecosystem.
Respawn Entertainment
Ryan Trowbridge is the Tech Art Director at Respawn Entertainment on Apex Legends. During his 24 year career in video games, he has enjoyed the intersection of creativity and engineering. Early in his career he worked at Pipeworks Software and shipped several games, including Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters for Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube platforms. His contributions included texturing, modeling, animation, and rigging. Later in his career he joined Naughty Dog as a character technical artist. He focused on pushing the limits of character rigs and tools for the creative teams. He contributed work to Uncharted 1-4 and The Last of Us. While working on Uncharted 4 he directed the rebuilding of the facial pipeline to raise the bar of facial animation. While working at Naughty Dog he co-authored and published the book titled, Maya Python for Games and Film. Ryan then joined Sony Bend as the Tech Art Director and led the tech art team on Days Gone. He directed animation, VFX, lighting, shading, rigging, and pipeline tool teams. Creating quality and performant systems that could scale across an open world game. Next Ryan joined Microsoft as the Tech Art Director for The Initiative on the Perfect Dark game. While still at Microsoft he went on to join 343 Industries and took on the role as Studio Tech Art Director working on Halo.
Game Incubation Special Interest Group at IGDA
Vice Chairman of Game Incubation Special Interest Group at IGDA with 10+ years experience focused on developing tools, methods, and solutions to support game developers and engage institutions and policymakers to create more efficient actions for the independent games sector. Researcher of the Collaborative Technologies Lab at the Utrecht University with a Ph.D. in Communication at São Paulo's State University. As director and founder of Savegame.dev, provided consultancy, project implementation, and commissioned studies for international institutions and the public sector.
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