Long-running professional games conference Games Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) will officially return to kick off Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW) between 5-7 October.
As is tradition, the conclusion of the conference will be followed by the presentation of the annual Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs).
This year, the event celebrates two decades of service and education, with this reflected in a program focussed on the past, and what’s next. As in all years, program curators aim to provide education, learning, up-skilling opportunities and networking spaces for video game practitioners of all experience levels.
GCAP 2026 announced – quick links
What to know about GCAP 2026
The core themes of GCAP 2026 are:
- Future ready, and what the next 1-5 years hold
- I’m here! Making your mark so that you find your niche and stand out
- Indie indie indie! The big hits and opportunities
- Numbers game, how to understand and utilise your analytics
As the GCAP team notes, the global games industry experienced ‘rapid shifts in direction, markets, and technology’ in 2025, with these challenges met by ‘enquiry, resilience, and collaboration that characterise those at the intersection of arts and technology.’
This year’s program aims to dive deeply into the nature of change, where developers can still make their mark, and how they’ll be able to weather incoming storms.
‘With greater focus on advanced-level talks, GCAP 2026’s sessions will be designed not just to open discussion but to provide education and help the Australian video games industry and community develop and thrive,’ organisers said.
‘Attendees can expect in-depth talks for development disciplines, engaging roundtables, and keynotes grounded in reality to enhance professional development.’
Speaker submissions for GCAP 2026 now open
As announced, the GCAP team is now looking for speakers to submit talks, with encouragement for all developers to share their valuable perspectives.
Talks can be directly inspired by the focus subject matter, or developers can submit talks that address a seperate area that’s worth hearing about. That includes any specific talks within the conference’s overarching focus disciplines: art, audio, brand and marketing, business and investment, design, engineering and technical, leadership and culture, narrative, and production.
Per the team, only ‘intermediate-to-advanced level talks’ will be accepted, with a focus on curating a program ‘grounded in practical reality, with tangible takeaways and educational outcomes for audiences.’
‘Through internal review and feedback, GCAP 2026 will deliver the skills the industry has told us they require.’
Those in a position to submit talks and share their expertise at the annual conference are encouraged to do so by 15 May. Speakers selected to talk will be compensated, and receive a full pass to GCAP 2026 and The AGDAs.
Everyone else can now mark their calendars for the anticipated return of GCAP 2026.
Also on ScreenHub: How traditional card game design inspired work on Malys
Summerfall Studios’ Malys is a game of striking art, all bold shades and colours, with cool, creepy monsters populating its many strategy-based battles. At GCAP 2025, studio art director Benjamin Ee dived deeply into the art of this game, discussing its creation and direction as related to traditional card games – specifically, Magic: The Gathering.
With a small, dedicated team, Ee was tasked with creating the visual identity of this game in early development, determining how it would represent fights between humans and demons, and reflect the struggles of the game’s protagonist in visual form.
Read more …
