Almost 100 sessions of GIC’26 agenda uncovered, and the best is yet to come
The Game Industry Conference (GIC) – one of Europe's premier gamedev events, held annually in Poland – is gearing up for its return. After the warm welcome in Katowice for the GIC Sprint in June, the game industry can prepare for the largest GIC edition in Poznan so far. Nearly 100 sessions of agenda have already been announced, and that's not even half of what's to come.
GIC is known for the best speakers in the field; this year's edition will present known professionals from Walt Disney Imagineering, Ubisoft, Activision, CD PROJEKT RED, Techland, Ten Square Games, 11 Bit Studios, Wargaming, Anshar Studios, AMD and many, many more. Speakers will be covering topics ranging from graphic design and modeling, through team building and communication, to development and publishing:
Nickole Li – Principal Systems Designer at Mojang. She worked at Ubisoft, EA, and Mojang on IPs including Ghost Recon, Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront, and Minecraft.
Jakub Kapuscinski-Bernatek – Senior Gameplay Designer at CD PROJEKT RED, currently working on The Witcher IV. Previously Senior Technical Gameplay Designer at People Can Fly, with credits including Outriders: Worldslayer.
Stéphane Jankowski – Executive Producer of the Anno franchise at Ubisoft Mainz, with 21 years in game production. Credits include Anno 117: Pax Romana, Anno 1800, The Crew and Assassin’s Creed Unity.
Megan Friedenberg – Rendering engineer at Walt Disney Imagineering, specializing in real-time rendering, engines, and animation tools. Previously worked on Marvel's Spider Man 2 by Insomniac.
David King – Ex-Senior Director of Technology at Electronic Arts, with 17 years at EA, from engineering to leadership. Worked across Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront, Need for Speed and Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst.
Steven Meretzky – This bio was too big to fit here. Just know it includes Infocom, Activision, Legend Entertainment, King, more than 30 games, and a few decades of making legendary gaming history!
Bob Bates – Legendary game designer, author, and co-founder of Legend Entertainment with credits on more than 50 games, including Unreal II: The Awakening, Spider-Man 3, and Eric the Unready.
Although last year’s summits were a huge success, the team behind the Game Industry Conference feels that there are topics in need of a broader coverage. That’s why the 2026 edition will organize eight different summits, some continuing the discussions from the previous year, and some brand new – all covering significant topics:
CTRL + ALT + PROMOTE – Games Marketing Summit – publishing, marketing, and growth experts trade candid, actionable insights on what actually works in today's games marketing.
Legal Summit – international legal experts, regulators, and industry leaders from across Europe and beyond convene to unpack this year's critical regulatory shifts in gaming, at the intersection of innovation, law, and play.
GIC Audio Summit – brings together game audio professionals to explore sound design, interactive music, audio implementation, and production workflows.
The Management & Operations Summit – built for operational, back-office, HR, and finance professionals in gamedev, this track aims to strengthen the industry community through open dialogue, shared insights, and collaborative growth.
How to Multiplayer Summit – a hands-on look at multiplayer game development, live operations, and business strategies, with one goal: making multiplayer game development knowledge more accessible.
GEEK Investment Forum – brings together game developers, investors, and industry professionals to exchange knowledge, discover investment opportunities, and build valuable business connections.
GEEK Startups Zone & Feedback battle royale – a chance for a startup to break through the glass ceiling and showcase what they’re working on. In addition to having a booth, selected teams will compete for a cash prize and further support for their project’s development.
AI Beyond Gaming Summit – moving past theoretical AGI, this summit lays out a candid, data-driven six-year outlook on AI, from production-ready game tools and narrative agents to its broader impact on culture and cognition.
Apart from summits and talks, you can expect many workshops, roundtables, and dedicated events, such as Women in Games Day happening since 2020 and bringing more and more people together. It’s not only about a shared meal and networking; Women in Games Day also offers panels, workshops, and a place to learn, share experiences, and become part of a lively community shaping the future of games. GIC takes great care of men as well and hosts a dedicated track, such as Men’s mental health. Started in 2025, featured 5 different meetings – roundtables, workshops, and talks – and gained much audience participation showing that it’s a significant part of the industry that is not yet fully covered.
Game Industry Conference 2026 will take place from 21 to 24 October in Poznan. Tickets at great prices are still available here.