Australian games industry association IGEA has announced the return of its free online Educates Summit on 7 July, with the latest iteration focused on ‘stepping stones’ into the games industry.
The summit will include talks by local Australian developers working at studios including Gameloft, Riot Games, Sledgehammer Games, Chaos Theory, Unity, Playful, and more, with each providing their expertise and advice for those looking to break into the sector.
As the IGEA team notes, it can be incredibly difficult to find a pathway into the games industry: ‘Expectations are not always obvious, missteps happen easily, and from the outside the industry can sometimes feel like uncharted territory. Which path is right for you?’
The IGEA Educates Summit will home in on these questions, providing essential knowledge for those who tune in.
IGEA Educates Summit returns in July – quick links
What to expect of the 2026 IGEA Educates Summit
The IGEA Educates Summit returns on 7 July, with the online event hosted via Discord. Anyone is able to claim a free ticket to attend, with this granting access to the server and livestream.
Throughout the day, there will be an array of learning sessions that organisers say they have designed to ‘help students and emerging developers better understand the expectations, pathways and realities of working in games’.
A number of breakout sessions will allow attendees to learn more about professional behaviour and workplace expectations; the art of creative collaboration and navigating differing perspectives; career pathways across AAA, indie and contract work; career trajectories within an established studio; insights from Unity’s 2026 Game Development Report; the growing importance of play testing; and how developers can position their games for success in today’s attention economy.
Professional development for early-career games developers
As well as providing these education opportunities, the IGEA Educates Summit will also allow for networking between developers and future game makers, with some siloed networking sessions and community discussions available throughout the day.
With these topics and opportunities, the event will be most useful for those in the early stages of their game development career, and those seeking to begin their journey.
The overarching aim of the event is to provide a realistic look at career opportunities in the field, providing inspiration and advice while not shying away from the modern realities facing game developers and the games industry as a whole.
The IGEA Educates Summit takes place online on 7 July. Free tickets are now available.
Also on ScreenHub: Play Now Melbourne returns for 2026
Play Now Melbourne is officially returning on 8 October, as a flagship game developer-focused event for Melbourne International Games Week 2026. Each year, Play Now Melbourne connects local video game developers with prominent publishers, investors and platform holders, with the overarching goal of gathering support and potential buyers to bring Australian-made games to the world.
As shared by VicScreen, an array of globally-recognised publishers and investors have already been locked in for the 2026 event, including Devolver Digital, Massive Monster, PlaySide Studios, Pavlova Games, Evil Landfall, Fellow Traveller, Focus Entertainment, Dotemu, The Arcade Crew, Umbrella Entertainment, Ultra Players and WINGS.
In 2025, Play Now Melbourne saw 78 developer teams presenting their projects to 21 publishers, investors and platform holders over 230 total meetings, with pairings determined by taste, genre, style and intended direction.
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