Frosty Games Fest is getting ready for its 2026 showcase in June, and game submissions are now open to Australian and New Zealand developers keen to share news of their latest projects.
As with the 2025 edition, the showcase will spotlight and elevate local game developers, giving them a curated platform to share their brightest ideas.
Frosty Games Fest 2026 – quick links
How to apply for Frosty Games Fest 2026
Anyone with an in-progress game demo, a new trailer featuring fresh gameplay or a release date or other cool announcement is encouraged to reach out to the Frosty Games Fest team for consideration.
Applications are now wide open and will close on 27 March.
In the coming months, the Frosty Games Fest team will review submissions and curate a shiny showcase for June, to take place around Summer Game Fest. We also expect this year’s show will be accompanied by another Steam event, celebrating all the latest and coolest games made in Australia and New Zealand.
It’s always a great chance to find a new, locally-made game, and to appreciate the full breadth of talent in the region.
Last year’s annual showcase shone a spotlight on games like My Arms Are Longer Now, which has just found a publisher, along with Drăculești and Letters to Arralla. The Frosty Mini showcase in December 2025 also painted a bright future.
ScreenHub: Browse all Australian games news and reviews
Major sponsors lend their weight to Frosty Games Fest 2026
In addition to announcing the opening of submissions for the 2026 showcase, the Frosty Games Fest team has also confirmed an array of sponsors, stepping in to support development of this year’s festival while also closing a major funding gap.
CODE, New Zealand’s Centre of Digital Excellence, is coming on board as a major sponsor this year. CODE aids development of new indie games in New Zealand, with a specific focus on grant funding, mentorship, and supporting pathways into the games industry.
Strange Scaffold is also a major sponsor. This is the studio founded by BAFTA-nominated game developer Xalavier Nelson Jr, who is best known for working on games including Hypnospace Outlaw, Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator and El Paso, Elsewhere.
Both teams are supporting Frosty Games Fest in its ambitions to showcase the might and creativity of the local Australian and New Zealand game development scene. We’ll see the fruits of the team’s labour mid-year.
Frosty Games Fest has yet to announce its 2026 dates but is slated for early June. Local developers have until 5pm 27 March to submit projects for consideration.
Also on ScreenHub: Tencent reportedly under scrutiny for stakes in US video games
A new report from Financial Times has claimed the Trump administration is currently investigating the US-based gaming assets of Chinese company Tencent, to determine whether they poses a security risk for the wider United States.
Tencent is currently a major investor in a range of US-based gaming companies. It outright owns Riot Games (League of Legends) and Supercell (Clash of Clans), and has significant stakes in companies including Epic Games and Activision Blizzard. Worldwide, it also has stakes in Larian Studios, Krafton, Ubisoft and others.
In 2025, the US government blacklisted Tencent over concerns it was working with the Chinese military, providing data and intelligence. At the time, the company categorically denied this, with a spokesperson saying it was ‘clearly a mistake’.
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