Your future is shaped in part by the connections you make: to people, companies, and information.
XP Game Summit is two days of video game connectivity, business-defining insights, and deal-making.
Join hundreds of video game professionals and companies to:
Join hundreds of video game professionals and companies for two days of business defining insights, networking, and deal making.
XP Game Summit returns for 2025! Connect with global gaming professionals to forge connections, create business opportunities, share insights, and unlock the potential of video game Intellectual Property (IP).
With over 50 expert-led masterclasses, panels, and new workshops for 2025, XP Game Summit delivers two days of actionable insights and professional growth with a focus on gaming IP, designed for industry leaders, developers, investors, publishers, and service providers. The 2025 show features business-focused networking opportunities like the XP Indie Pitch, a dedicated showfloor for tools, services, and an indie showcase, planned matchmaking in the Business Lounge powered by MeetToMatch, and exclusive experiences like the VIP Welcome Cocktail.
Opportunities are available to exhibit, partner, sponsor, and volunteer for XP25.
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Christian Fonnesbech, CEO & Head at IP Leverage
Title: Crafting Emotions In Games: the 5 pillars that make players feel
Description:
What makes a game into an emotional experience? This talk explores how to make players feel – from unforgettable characters and immersive worlds to authentic themes and narrative structure. Drawing on examples from beloved titles and practical development insights, this session is designed to help developers craft experiences that hook you in and stay with you, long after the credits roll.
Celia Hodent, Freelance Game UX Strategist – UX/UI powerhouse & former UX Director at Epic Games
Title: Advancing UX Strategy & Ethics in the Game Industry
Description:
Game user experience (UX) is mostly approached very narrowly in the game industry, around a game’s UI. However, UX is better seen as a mindset impacting all aspects of game development. Dr. Celia Hodent, former director of UX at Epic Games will provide insights on how to approach UX as a strategy, so that it can benefit a project and a studio efficiently every step of the way. Having a UX mindset means improving players’ experience, which in turn benefits business goals. But it also means putting players first. This entails considering ethical challenges ranging from design (e.g. dark patterns) to business models (e.g. lootboxes) to avoid exploiting players’ time and money. The talk will conclude with guidelines for developing ethical games.
Shawn Fischtein, CEO of Gaggle
Title: We Created a Global Gaming IP And So Can You
Description:
How did a small team with no prior gaming experience and a modest budget of just $2 million create Goose Goose Duck, a global sensation that rocketed to the top of the all-time peak concurrent player charts on Steam? Join the head of Gaggle Studios as he shares the unlikely journey behind their breakout hit.
In this candid session, you’ll uncover essential tips, surprising tricks, and crucial lessons learned (often the hard way) on the path from idea to international acclaim. We’ll dive into the highs and lows, exploring why success in today’s lightning-fast gaming landscape is both thrilling and brutally challenging.
You’ll also get an inside look at the realities of the globalized game economy, including how Gaggle Studios captured and created tens of millions of new PC gamers in China, turning a local success into a global phenomenon which potentially shifted the gaming landscape forever. Get ready for a no-holds-barred exploration of indie ingenuity, global gaming trends, and actionable insights you can apply to your own gaming ambitions.
Chris Chancey, Founding Partner of Indie Asylum, President & CEO of ManaVoid Entertainment, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec
Title: Indie Asylum: A case study for extreme collaboration between indies
Description:
Both Montreal and Quebec are internationally recognized as capitals of the video game development industry. In the last two decades, this industry generated important cultural and economic wealth. The emergence of small and medium studios as well as AAA companies settling in our province is the proof of a growing and healthy industry.
That being said, independent studios still face a variety of challenges such as funding, discoverability and a lack of business intelligence. To tackle these challenges we created a video game accelerator in 2017 that started with 3 studios and 30 people, and has now grown to 18 studios with over 200 developers. This talk will showcase how the Indie Asylum achieved this level of success through unseen levels of collaboration between indies.
Manon Salache, Product Marketing Manager at Game Rebellion
Title: Understanding your game market: The key insights you need to succeed
Description:
Learn how an in-depth market study can enhance your marketing strategy, boost user acquisition, and position your game for success before launch. This presentation covers key elements and demonstrates how to use these insights to craft effective strategies.
Key Takeaways:
A market study evaluates current market trends and assesses the performance of the game’s genre, analyzes the level of competition and determines how the game fits or differs from current trends.
Competitive analysis involves identifying major competitors and conducting a comparative analysis of their features and performance. This process includes studying competitors’ marketing strategies to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
This part involves analyzing demographic and psychographic data to create specific personas for targeted marketing. By understanding the audience’s preferences and behaviors, developers can tailor their marketing efforts to effectively reach and engage potential players.
Estimating the market size helps determine the potential player base and market growth potential, providing a realistic forecast of the game’s reach and success.
Positioning a game involves conducting a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and identifying Unique Selling Propositions (USPs).
Rabia Dincer, Partnerships Manager at CrazyGames – web-based gaming expert
Rafael Morgan, VP Marketing & Partnerships at CrazyGames – web-based gaming expert
Title: Web Gaming Renaissance, How Publishers Are Rediscovering a Classic Path to Expand their Audience
Dr. Ewa Antczak, CEO of Felixa
Title: Moderate to Modify: Using AI and Psychology to Build Safer, Healthier Gaming Communities
Description:
“Online gaming should be competitive, engaging, and fun—but for too many players, toxicity is turning that experience into frustration.
From casual gamers to esports pros, harassment, hate speech, and online bullying have become all too common, driving players away, damaging mental health, and hurting gaming communities. So, can we do about it?
In this session we will explore the psychology behind toxic behavior and how AI-driven solutions can not only detect and prevent it but actively modify online interactions. This talk will provide real-world strategies to create safer, more welcoming digital spaces and address some of these questions.
🔹 Why do normal players turn toxic in online environments?
🔹 What makes gaming communities more vulnerable to negativity?
🔹 How can AI help modify behavior to create healthier online interactions?
🔹 What role can game developers and community leaders play in designing safer gaming ecosystems?
With over 20 years of experience in human behavior, psychology, and digital interactions, Dr. Ewa will share actionable solutions that help game studios, esports organizations, and platform administrators build thriving, positive gaming communities—without sacrificing competition or engagement.”
More to be announced!
Speaker applications for XP Game Summit2025 are now closed, but would you like to share your expertise at one of our conferences?
We invite you to join our database of outstanding experts. Click below to add your information, and we’ll reach out when opportunities align with your preferences.
We look forward to potentially working with you and showcasing your knowledge at our future events.
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