I’m so proud of our mighty team for pulling together GamesBeat Next 2025, our next major event in San Francisco on November 12 and November 13. And I am delighted to present to you our near-final agenda.
We’re honored to once again have a great of voices, personalities and perspectives from both veterans and fresh voices. Once again, we’re holding he event at the beautiful Convene event space near Union Square. We’d love for you to come, either by signing up for GB Max premium or purchasing a ticket at this link. The theme is Gaming’s Next Chapter, and we hope you’ll write it with us — as you’re the ones making history.
We’ve crossed 103 speakers, with roughly half of them coming from diverse backgrounds. This year we’ve got 48 sessions, compared to just 42 last year. We’re still adding speakers to the agenda but check out our heavy hitters who will help us address the question on everybody’s mind: how does the game industry reach its next chapter?
We’ve got some wonderful rockstars from the world of the gaming industry. Check them out in this image. (David Jagneaux helped me write this post).
In staging this event, we are seeking to put together diverse voices and perspectives so that we can make this the most efficient and inspiring event for the gaming industry. We are thankful for those who are signing up. Please get your tickets while you can. It is our very first GamesBeat Next as an independent company since we spun out of VB in April.
For 17 years, our conferences and community have been about heart and soul of gaming and the technology behind it. Our task is to help educate the leaders and future leaders of the game industry when it comes to creating a sustainable, fair and fun industry for all who get joy from making games.
These speakers reflect a wide array of interests and topics in gaming, but we will always focus on the intersection of games and other spheres such as technology — the things at the edge of gaming that can create growth in the future — or other growth opportunities like Hollywood. As we all know, gaming and tech constantly change, and we hope that our event will be the best place to catch up on visionary ideas about the future — and practical ideas of how to take gaming to its next chapter.
I’ve been writing about games for a long time. Long enough to watch them go from “just for kids” or nerds to shaping culture, business, and technology. When I started GamesBeat, it was as a business writer. My goal was to follow the money.
What keeps me hooked isn’t just the games — it’s the people. The developers who take risks, the communities that grow around them, and the way ideas from games spill into everything else.
That’s why I love bringing people together at GamesBeat Next. Two days where the conversations off-stage are often more powerful than the keynotes on it. It’s where deals get done, and where we see the real expression of our community and your support for it.
We’ve also got people from the heart of triple-A development as speakers, and yet we’ve got one of the most diverse lineups when it comes to game industry events.
Our tracks at the event are organized along our channel themes: games business, technology, game development, game culture, entertainment and gameplay. We’ll have concurrent roundtables running alongside the talks for those who want interactive small group sessions.
Without further ado, take a look.
Day 1 — Wednesday, November 12
12:00 pm Attendee check-in and badge pickup
Emcee: Tadgh Kelly, game consultant and cofounder of Whenere
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm Opening Speech from Dean Takahashi, Editorial Director, GamesBeat, Emcee speech, and 5-minute talk from sponsors
Pacific Hall
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Social Impact and Games
Pacific Hall
Games have become one of the most powerful mediums for education, connection, and change. This panel explores how the gaming industry and open-knowledge movements can work in tandem to foster community, empower the next generation of creators, encourage civility and civic engagement, and share information in a way that is engaging, educating and importantly, fun.
Panel:
Josh Yguado, CEO, Jam City
Jenny 8. Lee, Co-founder, WikiPortraits
Dean Takahashi, Editorial Director, GamesBeat
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm When Worlds Collide – Creating Games in a Polarizing World
Pacific Hall
When you create a game, you create a world of content that carries culture – of yourself, your team, your company, and your place of origin. While you can control the forces that guide your creative vision and shape your game’s world, you can’t influence how players in a dynamically changing global landscape will react to your game. More game creators are allowing this fear and uncertainty to paralyze creative direction and second guess their choices. Learn from the award-winning, 30+ year culturalization expert Kate Edwards about how to successfully navigate world-building in a cultural and political environment of increasing division.
Speaker: Kate Edwards, CEO, Geogrify
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Open World Roundtable
Landmark Library
Beyond Sponsorships: How to build advocacy relationships with creators at scale
As the creator economy matures, game publishers are rethinking their approach to influencer marketing. Instead of one-off sponsorships and activations, developers are investing in long-term creator relationships that transform creators into genuine brand advocates. In this session, leaders from Open World and Krafton will join GamesBeat’s Alexander Lee for a discussion about how studios’ influencer marketing can evolve from transactional campaigns into advocacy relationships — and scale up to involve hundreds of creators without losing authenticity.
Moderator: Alex Lee
Moderator: Alex Lee, Lead News Writer, GamesBeat
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Real World Examples of In-Game Steering That Actually Work
Pacific Hall
With the rise of in-game steering in the US, many publishers are left wondering what actually works and what is allowed? Of course, many publishers are keen to keep examples close to their chest, which is why in this session, speaker David Vogelpohl will share anonymized but real-world examples of in-game steering for games live in app stores to give you insights into what other publishers are doing that actually works. Fellow panelist and gaming veteran Mike DeLaet of Ares Interactive also shares his views on steering and a crawl walk run approach to safely leveraging D2C for your games. If you’re interested in seeing real world in-game steering examples that can help inform your own strategy, don’t miss this session!
Panel:
Mike DeLaet, President, Ares Interactive
David Vogelpohl, CMO, FastSpring
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Big Problems, Big Money: Game Dev Unleashed on Unsuspecting Industries
Pacific Hall
Time to get over the existential angst about the future of the games industry. We’ve all realized by now that the industry’s next $100B in revenue isn’t coming from blockchain games or VR headsets. But it is coming—just not from where you’d expect. Across industries like healthcare, aerospace, and education, massive problems exist where a small shift in understanding or behavior among consumers or employees can save—or generate—billions. The games industry is decades ahead of every other sector in its grasp of neuroscience and technology, with unmatched expertise in accelerating understanding of complex systems, changing behavior, and rewiring the brain.
In this provocative panel, moderated by Noah Falstein—who himself has crossed over and is applying his craft beyond entertainment—Sam Glassenberg, who has built and sold multiple game studios using this exact approach, lays out the blueprint for turning other industries’ problems into major business opportunities for game devs. The key? Experienced developers unleashing their craft with real tech, real design, and zero tolerance for “gamification” nonsense. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of where the opportunity lies, how to structure the business model to capture it, and why the studios that seize it first will define the next great wave of growth for the games industry.
Fireside Chat:
Sam Glassenberg, CEO & Founder, Level Ex
Noah Falstein, Founder, The Inspiracy
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Roundtable session in Landmark Library
Designing the next-generation industry conference
Tired of conferences that feel the same every year? Join the leaders of GDC and the DICE Summit for a collaborative, candid conversation exploring how to reinvent industry events for the next generation of developers. What’s working? What’s not? What can we do together to make future events more valuable and impactful for everyone?
Mark DeLoura, Executive Director for Innovation and Growth, GDC Festival of Gaming
Meggan Scavio, President, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Epic Games, Roblox and Overwolf: Unlocking the Next Growth Engine for Games and Creators
Pacific Hall
User-generated content has moved from side quest to growth engine. This session compares how three leading ecosystems Roblox, Epic/UEFN, and Overwolf/CurseForge are redefining how UGC experiences are built, distributed, and how creators earn.
This session will map the different creator classes from experience builders, UEFN teams, and mod authors, to how each platform approaches revenue models that actually scale, from in-experience purchases to Premium Mods. The talk will also dig into publisher–creator collaboration and licensed IP, including how it extends a title’s lifecycle. Attendees will leave with a clear playbook for choosing the right UGC rails for their game or IP.
Panel:
Uri Marchand, CEO, Overwolf
Alex Seropian, CEO of Look North World
Zachary Letter, Wonder Works Studio
Moderator: Dean Takahashi
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Backstage with Mac: What Music Taught Me About Making Games
Pacific Hall
Mac Reynolds manages one of the world’s biggest rock bands and now leads one of gaming’s most promising new studios. In this intimate fireside chat, he’ll unpack the lessons he’s carried from the world of sold out arenas and platinum albums to indie game development. From creative chemistry and team culture to storytelling, fundraising, and community-building, Mac shares his authentic perspective on breaking into the game industry and how building a great band and building a great game aren’t so different.
Fireside Chat:
Mac Reynolds, Co-founder, Night Street Games
Dean Takahashi, Editorial Director, GamesBeat
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Roundtable #3: The War for Leisure Time
Landmark Library
The battleground of the next five years isn’t platforms, franchises, or even content. It’s time. Control time, and you control attention. Control attention, and you control spend.
This session argues that games are uniquely positioned to dominate this new battlefield. They flex across every slot of Gen Z and Alpha’s day — micro sessions, mini bursts, anchor rituals, and ambient attention — in ways no other medium can.
Roundtable:
Jon Margolis, chief strategy officer, Open Ocean Games
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Livewire
Pacific Hall
Power in Play: A fireside chat with Indy Khabra, Co-Founder of Livewire
Gaming is no longer a subculture — it’s the culture. Join GamesBeat’s Alexander Lee and Livewire co-founder Indy Khabra for a discussion about games’ increasingly central role at the crossroads of sports, music, entertainment and fashion. Drawing insights from Livewire’s recent Power in Play report, as well as its ongoing partnerships with major IP holders including the NFL and Foxtel (DAZN), this session will explore how gaming has gone mainstream — and why advertisers should be adjusting their approach accordingly.
Fireside Chat:
Indy Khabra, Co-Founder & Global Co-CEO, Livewire
MODERATOR: Alex Lee, Lead News Writer, GamesBeat
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm The Future of Triple-A Games
Pacific Hall
TBD
Aaron Keller, game director on Overwatch 2 for Blizzard
MODERATOR: Stella Chung
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Closing remarks: Speaker TBD. Reception welcome
Pacific Gallery
Day 2 — Thursday, November 13
7:30 am Attendee check-in and badge pickup
Emcees: Alice Martinez, Gerard Williams, Darion Lowenstein, Corey Rosemond
8:00 am breakfast
8:30 am – 9:15 am Leading with Impact: Women in Gaming & Tech Executive breakfast
Pacific Hall
Panel:
Olivia Liddell, Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services
Sharon Lee, Co-founder, Moonlake AI
Raashi Sikka, Chief Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Social Impact Officer, Ubisoft
MODERATOR: Rachel Kaser, Writer, GamesBeat
9:15 am – 9:25 am Welcome remarks from Rachel Kaser, Writer, GamesBeat
Pacific Hall
9:25 am – 9:30 am Welcome remarks from Emcees
Pacific Hall
9:30 am – 10:00 am General Session (Welcome Sponsor)
Pacific Hall
Power Players: Women Leading the Future of Game Investment
The gaming industry’s next great innovations won’t just come from new technologies—they’ll come from the people who believe in bold ideas early on. In this powerhouse session, meet the women redefining what it means to invest in the future of games.
Emily Greer, Venture Partner, 1UP
Jiang Li, Principal, Makers Fund
Rachel Chai, Investor and advisor of the Mini-Fund
MODERATOR: Emily Wang, Partner, Griffin Gaming
10:00 am – 10:30 am General Session
panel: Pacific hall
The Long View: What Decades of Games Can Teach Us About the Future
What happens when you zoom out and look at the game industry over decades instead of years? In The Long View, Ron Scott of Xsolla and Dean Takahashi of GamesBeat chat with Rob Dyer of Capcom to discuss the trends, cycles, and strategies that have stood the test of time — and what they reveal about the road ahead. From shifting technologies and evolving player expectations to the rise of new business models, this discussion explores the long-term patterns shaping the future of gaming. As we look toward 2026 and beyond, we’ll explore how today’s biggest decisions — around AI, monetization, publishing, and platform strategy — could shape the industry’s next era of opportunity.
Rob Dyer, COO of Capcom
Ron Scott, senior vice president of strategic partnerships at Xsolla
Dean Takahashi, editorial director at GamesBeat
10:30 am – 11:00 am
How I Raised $X Million
Go behind the scenes of two of the largest raises in gaming this year to explore remarkable stories of what it’s like to raise money for gaming and AI companies in today’s landscape. XEODesign’s Nicole Lazzaro will be asking Sharon Lee and Fan-Yun Sun, the co-founders at Moonlake AI, and Pim de Witte, the CEO of General Intuition, to go inside their multi-million-dollar funding seed rounds. No two funding stories are alike, so we’ll explore these two remarkable cases to see how they managed it at a time gaming investments are lower:
How did they meet the right kind of investors?
How did they pitch their cases to make their companies a must-invest story?
How did they tweak and customize their pitches for conversations with VC firms, institutional investors and individual investors?
We’ll also explore what’s getting funded, how to be allies to female cofounders and executives in gaming, and how these funding rounds represent a bridge between AI, gaming, and gaming’s ability to inspire and fuel innovation across the tech ecosystem.
Pacific Hall
Panel:
Pim de Witte, CEO, General Intuition
Sharon Lee, Co-founder, Moonlake AI
MODERATOR: Nicole Lazzaro, Founder & President, XEODesign
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Vista West — Panel: The Game Keeps Changing: Global Compliance in a Localized World
Policy and regulations changes can create challenges for the industry yet can create great opportunities. Managing and leading organizations that are constantly evolving is not always easy and these experts have figured out how to make it happen and generate opportunities for their companies and partners.
Carla Bedrosian, chief legal officer at Xsolla
Emma Smizer, associate attorney at FKKS
Diana Ovsepian, partner at Sidley Austin
Moderator: Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat writer
10:30 am – 11:00 am Wolfenstein, Wizards and Wordle, Oh My! A Fireside Chat with Jonathan Knight
Vista East
Few executives in the games industry can match Jonathan Knight, Head of Games for The New York Times, in breadth of genres and number of hits. From Wolfenstein to Wizards Unite to Wordle. Simpsons, Superman, Sims, Strands. All the Villes. Dante’s Inferno. JK has seen and done it all. In this wide ranging topic hosted by Deconstructor of Fun’s Ethan Levy, Jonathan will go deep on a wide range of topics, including leading massive teams, driving organizational change, running forever franchises and the future of the industry. This wide ranging conversation will get to the core of the process behind Jonathan’s many hits, and will contain invaluable wisdom for anyone making games today.
Fireside Chat:
Ethan Levy, moderator, Gamefam
Jonathan Knight, New York Times
10:30 am – 11:30 am Roundtable #4: Before You Ship, Sign, or Share: A Legal Roundtable for Game Devs
Landmark Library
Game development moves fast, and legal problems shouldn’t be the thing that slows devs down. This roundtable brings together legal experts and developers to talk plainly about the contract pitfalls, IP issues, and business risks that can derail a game. We’ll unpack common traps, share war stories, and answer the legal questions devs are often too afraid to ask.
Roundtable:
Veda Cruz, Attorney, Odin Law & Media
Brandon Huffman, Founder & Managing Partner, Odin Law & Media
11:00 am – 11:30 am Fireside Chat with John Hight
Pacific Hall
As head of Wizards of the Coast, John Hight is leading a focused transformation of the company’s game development strategy. With an emphasis on sustainable franchises, disciplined execution, and player-first design, he is aligning creative autonomy with long-term business goals. His session will explore how Wizards is doubling down on core IPs like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering while also building new worlds with Exodus, the debut sci-fi space opera from Archetype. Hight will share his outlook for Wizards and the broader game industry—one that is pragmatic but optimistic: delivering meaningful player experiences and a deep respect for the brands and communities that define the company’s legacy.
Fireside Chat:
John Hight, President, Wizards of the Coast
MODERATOR: Alex Lee, Lead News Writer, GamesBeat
11:00 am – 11:30 am Beyond the Game: How Play Shapes Human Wellbeing
Vista West
Nearly half of U.S. adults play video games, but most do so alone, raising important questions about how play connects to wellbeing. Drawing on Gallup’s evidence-based wellbeing framework, this session examines why the social context of gaming matters and presents new Gallup data exploring the complex link between video game play and wellbeing.
Dan Foy, Principal, Global Analytics, Gallup
11:00 am – 11:30 am — Surfacing Ideas and Talent from Underexplored Places
Whether it’s discovering new game loops and mechanics from game jams, or platforming overlooked voices in the industry to new audiences, Theresa Loong (filmmaker and game designer, Game On) and Khaalid Booker (founder, ScoreSpace) explore how amplifying underrepresented creators leads to sustainable innovation. This fireside chat is followed by a roundtable discussion with special guests.
Fireside Chat:
Khaalid Booker, Founder, ScoreSpace
Theresa Loong, Director, Game On
Vista West
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Seeking Global Growth in the Age of (Too Much) Data
Studios today have more frameworks, dashboards, metrics, and KPIs than ever before…but does more data actually mean better decisions? In a maturing industry where growth is getting harder and audiences are fragmented across regions, platforms, and genres, how do you separate the signal from the noise? Join us for a candid look at how research and data can both fuel and derail global expansion – and what it really takes to turn insight into sustainable player and revenue growth.
Vista East
Panel:
MODERATOR: Yoshio Osaki, President, IDG Intelligence
Lisa Cosmas Hanson, President, Niko Partners
Yoshio Osaki, President, IDG Intelligence
Chris Han, CEO, Thinking Data
11:30 am – 12:00 pm Global Development for Scalability and Sustainability
Vista West
As the video game industry continues to face economic challenges, smart investment is more critical than ever before. A distributed development model is now core to sustainable innovation and business solvency. In this session, studio leaders explore how a global workforce fuels long-term creative and technological advancement and effective client solutions. Learn how this structure maximizes output without burnout, fosters diverse perspectives, enables problem solving through cross-culture collaboration, and creates development excellence, to deliver best-in-class products.
Panel:
Brad Hendricks, Founder & CEO, Blind Squirrel Games
Alex Fernandez, CEO, Streamline Studios
Ninel Anderson, Founder & CEO, Devoted Studios
MODERATOR: Sibel Sunar, Keywords
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pacific Hall
TBD
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Roundtable #5: Surfacing Ideas and Talent from Underexplored Places
Landmark Library
Whether it’s discovering new game loops and mechanics from game jams, or platforming overlooked voices in the industry to new audiences, Theresa Loong (filmmaker and game designer, Game On) and Khaalid Booker (founder, ScoreSpace) explore how amplifying underrepresented creators leads to sustainable innovation. This roundtable follows the earlier fireside chat and includes special guests.
Roundtable:
Khaalid Booker, Founder, ScoreSpace
Theresa Loong, Director, Game On
Nick Motamedi, founder at Hidden Studios
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Hollywood and games
Description: TBD
Pacific Hall
Panel:
Dmitri Johnson, Co-founder, Story Kitchen,
Jon Snoddy, CEO, Operative Games
Lisa Burgess,Head of Kids Games, Netflix
MODERATOR: Chris Stone, Studio General Manager, VOID Interactive
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Thriving in the Storm: Building Sustainable Game Businesses in a Risk-Heavy Market
Vista West
The gaming industry continues to face exhausting volatility: escalating production costs, hit-driven revenue models, and an uncertain funding climate. This panel will explore how publishers, platform owners, and game developers can set the path to thrive through turbulent times, and how the emergence of expert advice from a wealth of industry veterans has become more accessible than ever, providing the guidance and frameworks needed to help industry orgs weather uncertainty while still innovating.
Panel:
Adam Boyes, Founder, Vivrato
Ben Granados, Co-founder, PUBLSH
Jen MacLean, Co-founder, Dragon Snacks Studio
MODERATOR: Mark Stanley, Founder & CEO, Syndicate of Play
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Games M&A at an inflection point
Vista East
Panel: In 2025, the pattern of games transactions matched that for a mature and lower-growth industry: mostly financially-driven rather than strategic transactions; financial acquirers; divestitures; and the importation of creative financing structures. Our panel forecasts how normal this new M&A environment will be going forward, including the new buyers who will replace the diminished pool of Western strategics.
MODERATOR: Eric Goldberg, Presient & Co-founder, Playable Worlds
Dara Willoughby, Managing Director, Raine Group
Matt Wang of Evercore
Greg Richardson, Managing Partner, Juno Capital
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch Break
Pacific Gallery
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Roundtable #6:Video Games and Wellbeing: Playing Together Matters
Landmark Library
Nearly half of U.S. adults play video games, but most do so alone, raising important questions about how play connects to wellbeing. Drawing on Gallup’s evidence-based wellbeing framework, this session examines why the social context of gaming matters and presents new Gallup data exploring the complex link between video game play and wellbeing.
Roundtable:
Dan Foy, Principal, Global Analytics, Gallup
Riada Asimovic Akyol, Senior Communications Consultant, Gallup
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Fresh Voices in Gaming Lunch (panel begins at 1 pm)
Pacific Hall
A groundbreaking new program is coming to GamesBeat Next: the Fresh Voices in Gaming Lunch, an initiative designed to amplify new and unique voices in the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries. The lunch brings together a panel of emerging leaders and visionary thinkers to explore what’s next in the business of games. They will discuss the ways diversity boosts innovation, dramatically increases engagement, and positively impacts creativity and the bottom line. Powered by GamesBeat’s commitment to impact, inclusion, and innovation—and sponsored by Xsolla—this is a key step in GamesBeat’s mission to ensure the future of gaming reflects the full spectrum of talent shaping it.
Panel:
MODERATOR: Carla Bedrosian, Chief Legal Officer, Xsolla
Kanessa Muluneh, CEO, Rise of Fearless
Jennifer Corbett, CMO at Midwest Games
Third speaker: TBD
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Fireside Chat with Randy Pitchford
Pacific Hall
Title/description: TBD
Fireside Chat:
Randy Pitchford, CEO, Gearbox
MODERATOR: Dean Takahashi, Editorial Director, GamesBeat
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Bringing back iconic brands to Triple-A gaming
Join Boyoung Kim (Tsugu Ventures) and Andy Kleinman (Delphi Interactive) for an in-depth conversation on the past, present, and future role of the world’s most iconic brands in triple-A gaming. As triple-A development costs soar and major publishers double down on wholly owned IP, the question arises: What are the opportunities for iconic and established brands in triple-A gaming?
Bo and Andy will explore who is best positioned to reimagine beloved franchises for modern audiences, how innovative strategies and partnerships can unlock new opportunities, and the growing role of AI in shaping the next generation of AAA games.
Vista West
Fireside Chat:
Andy Kleinman, President, Delphi Interactive
MODERATOR: Boyoung Kim, Partner, Tsugu Ventures
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Game Discovery, User Acquisition and Player Engagement: Multi-Perspective Industry Insights
Vista East
This panel discussion brings together industry leaders to explore challenges and innovations in game discovery, user acquisition and retention strategies. Through diverse approaches including The New York Times (success with Wordle?), Twitch (community-driven approach/streamers), Scopely (TBD) or AWS’s technology, participants share key learnings and emerging best practices. The conversation examines how different tactics are evolving to meet changing market dynamics – from organic growth to technology-enabled campaign optimization to community-centric development. Speakers discuss the increasing importance of building direct player relationships, leveraging data and automation to improve marketing efficiency, and fostering engaged player communities throughout a game’s lifecycle. Their insights reveal how gaming companies are adapting their user acquisition and retention strategies amidst rising customer acquisition costs, platform changes, and evolving player expectations.
Panel:
Bill Young, Head of Games, Twitch
Patrick Santora, Sr. Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services
Scott Koenigsberg, Chief Product Officer, Zynga
MODERATOR: Dobrinka Kostadinova, Founder & Principal Advisor, Ad Astra
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Roundtable #7 – Gaming for Good: The Rise of Video Game Education Marketing
Landmark Library
What if the most powerful marketing channel in gaming wasn’t social media or streaming, but the classroom? In this session, 2 Time Shark Tank Entrepreneur and GameClass Founder and CEO Skyler Scarlett unveils how entertainment video games are becoming the world’s greatest teaching tool and, at the same time, the smartest marketing engine ever created. By transforming recorded gameplay into interactive lessons, GameClass helps teachers regain the classroom, re-engages students in over 12 countries, and builds lifelong brand loyalty starting as early as age four. Through partnerships like NASEF’s 9,000 scholastic esports clubs, GameClass is scaling “gaming for good” worldwide, where the lesson itself becomes the ad. With over one billion recorded game clips ready to be upcycled into education, Skyler shows how this model not only inspires learning but redefines what long-term value (LTV) means for the entire gaming industry.
Roundtable:
Skyler Scarlett, Founder & CEO, GameClass
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Icons in Motion: Strategies for the Next Era of Entertainment
Pacific Hall
Mattel, one of the world’s most iconic toy and family entertainment companies, is at the forefront of transforming play in the digital age. Join Ken Wee, Mattel’s Chief Strategy Officer and Michael Metzger, Managing Partner at Drake Star for an exclusive fireside chat on how Mattel is evolving its global strategy spanning beloved franchises like Barbie and Hot Wheels, partnerships across film and gaming, and investments in digital, AI, and interactive platforms. The conversation will explore how a brand balances timeless physical play with new opportunities in immersive entertainment, gaming ecosystems, and transmedia storytelling.
Fireside Chat:
Ken Wee, Chief Strategy Officer, Mattel
MODERATOR: Michael Metzger, Managing Partner, Drake Star
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Vista West
The Next Era of Game Monetization
The way players spend in games is changing faster than ever. As UGC platforms, live service models, and traditional publishers collide, developers are redefining how to build sustainable, player-first economies. This panel brings together leaders from across the industry, Roblox-native creators, live service innovators, and triple-A publishers, to explore what’s next for game monetization and how studios can design systems that balance engagement, fairness, and long-term growth.
Andrew Bereza, Director of Business Development, Twin Atlas
Karim Farghaly, SVP of Innovation at Banda Namco
Chris Mann, SVP at rEvolution
Alex Lee, lead news writer at GamesBeat (moderator)
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Building Your “Ready” Team: Studio Cultures that Thrive in Today’s Business Environment
Vista East
In this new era for the games industry, leaders are being asked to remake their company culture to be successful in the face of growing uncertainty, increased volatility, and deep technological change to the process of game development. Resilience, adaptability, and shared purpose have become critical components of studio culture for managing unexpected challenges and positioning teams for critical business achievements.
Panel:
Daryl Ogden, Co-founder, Valued Cultures
Gordon Bellamy, Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts ,USC
Justin Britch, VP of Development at Obsidian Entertainment
Oksana Kubushyna, CEO & Co-founder, Seeker Entertainment
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm GB Max Backstage Roundtable Q&A Session — Premium passholders for GB Max will have private Q&A session with some speakers.
Landmark Library
Roundtable:
Madison Shelton, GamesBeat, and speakers.
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Everybody games: How everybody can win in this industry
Pacific Hall
The Global Gaming League Founder Clinton Sparks will talk about his new effort to mix entertainment, celebrities, esports and gaming. This chat will give you ideas to start winning in games and apply to your business today. “We are professionals at eliminating excuses and after this fireside chat you won’t have any. Now let’s game.”
Fireside Chat:
Clinton Sparks, CEO, Global Gaming League
MODERATOR: TBD
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm AI panel
Vista West
AI & Gaming: A conversation about the Future
Join us for “AI & Gaming: A conversation about the Future,” a compelling discussion moderated by industry veteran Leo Olebe, CEO of OMG. This panel explores the impact of artificial intelligence on game development, player experience, and industry business models. Hear directly from pioneers Rich Vogel (Founder & Studio Head, T-Minus Zero), Alex Kearney (Co-founder & Head of Agents, Artificial Agency), and Burcu Hakguder (Co-founder & CRO, Layer) as they share their insights. They’ll discuss the opportunities and complex challenges the industry faces as we all try to navigate a game-changing technology.
Rich Vogel, Founder & Studio Head, T-Minus Zero
Alex Kearney, Co-founder & Head of Agents, Artificial Agency
Burcu Hakguder, Co-founder & CRO, Layer
MODERATOR: Leo Olebe, CEO, Olebe Media Group
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Setting Our Story Straight: A Case for Writers, Narrative Designers, and Fresh IP in Games
Vista East
Our industry is over two years deep into sweeping waves of cuts – and, when layoffs occur, writers and narrative designers are impacted at a seven times higher rate than other disciplines. Facing industry-wide contraction and the increased prevalence of AI, writers and narrative designers are at risk of being extinguished from the game development process as standard professional disciplines: a reality that would prove injurious not only to writers, but to the games we love and the franchises they inspire. This talk aims to first introduce those outside of the sphere of narrative design, game writing, and IP development to the factors impacting our sector of the industry and, following this onboarding, to open up guided conversation centered on collaboratively devising a path forward.
Solo Talk:
Hannah Manikowski, Narrative Professional
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm BREAK
Pacific Hall, Vista West, and Vista East
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Pacific Hall
Fireside Chat: The New Era of Connection: How the social layer is powering gaming’s next chapter of discovery
The future of gaming will be defined by social connection and discovery, not just content. As the gaming industry evolves, the biggest shift isn’t happening in game mechanics, it’s happening in how players connect, share, and discover together. In this conversation, Discord’s CEO, Humam Sakhnini explores how players are redefining social discovery, belonging, and engagement in gaming. From friend groups to global communities, the spaces between games are becoming as vital as the games themselves.
Humam Sakhnini, CEO, Discord
Michael Metzger, Partner, Drake Star Partners
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Into the Crystal Ball: Prognostications on the Games Industry in 2035
Vista West
Where do we go from here? In a time of unprecedented change for the games industry, join Deconstructor of Fun’s Ethan Levy as he hosts an unfiltered conversation on the future of the industry with Pete Hawley (ex-CEO Telltale, ex-CPO 100 Thieves), Kayla Kinnunen (Head of Creator, Minecraft), and Alexandra Takei (Studio Business Director, Ruckus Games). When we look ahead to 2035, what do we think the industry will look like? Will Minecraft still rule the world? Will GenAI change the industry forever? Will VCs still be plowing money into the industry? Will the public at large have grown tired of live services? From bold predictions to contrarian hot takes, this panel mixes expert insight with a little mischief as we gaze into the crystal ball and take a look at the year 2035.
Panel:
Pete Hawley
Alexandra Takei, Studio Business Director, Ruckus Games
Kayla Kinnunen, Head of Creator, Minecraft, Mojang Studios
MODERATOR: Ethan Levy, VP New Platforms, Gamefam
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Gaming as the Arab World’s New Economy
Vista East
The Arab World is at the tipping point of a new economic revolution—powered not by oil, but by play. With Saudi Arabia leading the charge, gaming is unlocking billions in opportunity, fueling entrepreneurship, and creating a new generation of digital-first talent. In this session, Mohamed El Sheakh will explore how the Arab World is turning gaming into its next growth engine, the role of culture and localization in shaping success, and why international investors and studios cannot afford to overlook this region. Attendees will gain a clear view of the market dynamics, investment potential, and community-led movements that are making the Arab World one of the most exciting gaming frontiers on the planet.
Solo Talk:
Mohamed El Sheakh, Games Ventures
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Leveling Up with AI: Building Personalized Player Experiences
Pacific Hall
This talk will explore how AI is redefining how games and other interactive experiences can adapt to individual players. Imagine an in-game world that can provide a dynamic experience in storytelling, world-building, character and narrative development. In this session, panelists will discuss how AI-native systems can help design an ideal game experience that can adapt to player behavior and grow to community responses and demand, and will look at where AI is taking the future of game development.
Panel:
Josh English, CTO, Series Entertainment
Hilary Mason, Co-founder & CEO, Hidden Door
Brendan Mulligan, Founder & CEO, Liminal Experiences
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm From Play to Proficiency: Designing Games That Build Transferable Skills
As games increasingly intersect with education, training, and professional development, the boundary between play and proficiency is rapidly dissolving.
This session brings together industry leaders to discuss how contemporary game design can foster real-world competencies through intentional use of mechanics, progression systems, and feedback loops. Drawing from domains as diverse as immersive spatial computing, real-time simulation, and behavioral design, the panel will explore how strategic thinking, engineering intuition, and creative problem-solving emerge from well-crafted gameplay.
Beyond design, the discussion will address methods for quantifying impact : from telemetry-based behavioral analytics to longitudinal self-report studies and cross-domain validation. Together, the speakers will outline how studios can responsibly design and evaluate experiences that extend player agency beyond entertainment, shaping skills relevant to both digital and physical worlds.
Vista West
Panel:
John Spitzer, VP of Developer & Performance Technology, Nvidia
Tsahi Liberman, Co-founder & CEO, Alloi
Alicia Berry, Executive Producer, Niantic Spatial
MODERATOR: Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Queer signals, real business
Vista East
Queer gaming isn’t a side-quest; it’s the early-warning system. This keynote shows how identity-led fandoms function as R&D producing usable telemetry across TikTok, Steam, Twitch and AO3 that sharpens greenlights, roadmaps and go-to-market. We’ll open with quick cultural proofs (Charli’s Brat, Skibidi, Italian Brainrot) to show why participation beats promotion, then apply the same lens to games (Baldur’s Gate 3, The Sims, plus UGC on Roblox/Fortnite). You’ll leave with a clear set of next steps: what to track, what actually correlates with retention and DLC uptake, and how to design for co-authorship without losing control. Bottom line: read the edges to forecast the middle, not to chase memes.
Solo Talk:
Jason Vanderwoude, Senior Vice President of Client Solutions at Allied Global Marketing
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Game Changers 2026 — Announcing This Year’s Winners
Pacific Hall
Game Changers is back! Now in its third year, the list celebrates and accelerates extraordinary startups in gaming and interactive media—in partnership between Lightspeed, GamesBeat, Nasdaq, and C-level industry leaders.
The Game Changers 2026 theme is “Building Through Chaos.” From mass layoffs and economic headwinds to the rise of AI and shifting global policies, the gaming industry is weathering continued volatility. Yet amidst the chaos, certain truths in game design remain constant—core principles across platforms, technologies, and market cycles. Join us as we announce this year’s 25 winners, with demos from our 5 standout winners across award categories.
Panel:
Dean Takahashi, Editorial Director, GamesBeat
Mike Mongeau, Head of Product, k-ID
Jani Penttinen, Co-Founder & CEO, Bitmatgic
Jasper Brand, Partner, Bitkraft Ventures
Jenny Xu, CEO, Talofa Games
MODERATOR: Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner and Head of Gaming & Interactive Media at Lightspeed
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm General Session
Pacific Hall
Game Changers Winners
Panel:
Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner and Head of Gaming & Interactive Media at Lightspeed AI
Panelists are the award winners: TBD
5:30 pm – 5:35 pm Closing Remarks
Pacific Hall. Speaker TBD
5:45 pm – 9:00 pm Game Changers 2026 Reception
Lightspeed San Francisco