Games are one of the most powerful mediums in the world and the people shaping the future of the industry are defining impact in different ways. At GamesBeat Summit 2026, the Visionary Awards celebrated two leaders who have used games to create change, strengthen communities, and expand what the medium can achieve.
Hosted by Larry Hryb, a longtime and influential voice in gaming known for his years as Xbox’s Major Nelson, the 2026 Visionary Awards honored Games for Change president Susanna Pollack as Visionary Person of the Year and Tencent business development director Amir Satvat with the Up and Comer Award.
Pollack’s vision: Games can help build a better future
Pollack was recognized for more than 25 years of work at the intersection of technology and social impact, including her leadership growing Games for Change into a global platform connecting creators, educators, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Games for Change works to harness games and immersive media to address real-world challenges. Under Pollack’s leadership, the organization has expanded its global reach through initiatives including the Games for Change Festival and its Student Challenge, which has engaged more than 100,000 young people across 91 countries.
Accepting the award, Pollack reflected on the belief that has guided her career: that games can inspire curiosity, connection, and new ways of thinking.
“I often say that, like many of you, I was an Atari kid,” Pollack said. “I grew up experiencing the joy and wonder of games. Even at 10 and 12, I believed that there was something uniquely powerful about play. Play sparks curiosity. It encourages experimentation. It helps connect us with others and imagine new possibilities.”
Pollack said that belief has shaped her work at Games for Change, where she has seen creators use games to educate, build empathy, strengthen communities, and address some of the world’s biggest challenges.
“Games are the most powerful and far-reaching medium of our time,” she said. “They invite participation, foster understanding, and give us a chance to visualize and rehearse for a better future.”
Satvat’s mission is to support the people behind the games
Satvat received the Up and Comer Award for creating and leading ASGC (Always Supporting the Games Community), a volunteer-driven initiative that has helped thousands of game industry professionals navigate layoffs and find new opportunities.
ASGC provides job resources, career coaching, networking opportunities, and community support for developers and other industry professionals. The organization has helped more than 5,000 people find jobs while building resources including a searchable database of roughly 40,000 roles, including more than 17,000 opportunities in games.
In his acceptance speech, Satvat thanked the community members, companies, and mentors who helped build ASGC while calling on the industry to do more for game workers facing uncertainty.
“Helping cannot stop at what is easy, familiar, or convenient,” he said. “It has to move toward what is time-consuming, uncomfortable, and actually effective, because if someone that I’m talking to cannot eat, or is losing their home, or tells me that they want to end their life, that is not my moment to recline on the couch and think about myself.”
Satvat pointed to former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata as an example of the type of leadership he believes the games industry needs. During a difficult period for Nintendo, Iwata reduced his own salary to help the company avoid layoffs, a decision Satvat said reflected a commitment to balancing business decisions with care for employees.
“We need far more help from far more people than the industry provides today, and if we truly care, that help should cost us comfort,” he added. “So my hope is that everyone here leaves here asking: what more can I do to serve because it’s going to take a lot more than me or ASGC, although I will keep doing everything I can. That means companies treating displaced workers as people to help, not email addresses to cut off at 6 a.m. It means senior leaders treating teams the way Mr. Iwata would, pursuing corporate objectives while still caring deeply about staff.”
The 2026 Visionary Awards highlighted two paths toward shaping the future of games: expanding the medium’s ability to create positive change and building the support networks needed for the people who bring those experiences to life.
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