Sydney-based games collectives Waypoint and Serenade have announced their premier yearly event, Waypoint Constellations, will be bolder than ever in 2026 with a major showcase set to take place at the Sydney Opera House on 13 October.
Each year, Waypoint Constellations aims to highlight and elevate games created within Sydney and wider New South Wales with a focus on ‘exceptional’ game making, artistry, and storytelling. Since 2024, the popularity of the event has grown considerably, going from a ‘small cafe in Alexandria’ to the Oxford Art Factory for capacity.
Now, the event will make yet another leap, into the Sydney Opera House, thanks partially to the support of Screen NSW.
Waypoint Constellations returns in 2026 – quick links
What to expect of Waypoint Constellations 2026
As with past events, this year’s Waypoint Constellations is expected to showcase the talent and creativity of game developers in and around Sydney, with playable games on show as well as opportunities to learn more about game development through keynote talks and discussions.
Per organisers, the event is a celebration of game development as a whole, spotlighting stories from local Sydney game developers including behind-the-scenes insights, commentary about their practice, and more. After these talks, there will also be music and a DJ, with drinks available via the Opera House foyer bars.
For those keen to gain insight into the local Sydney game development scene, to appreciate the art of game development, and to meet like-minded folks, this year’s Waypoint Constellations is set to be grand.
Confirmed speakers for Waypoint Constellations 2026
As announced, there are already a number of speakers locked in for the event, including the developers behind Saros, Doggy Don’t Care and Bits & Bops. Here’s the full list so far:
- Gregory Louden – ‘The Australian Creative Director of Saros working at PlayStation Studio’s Housemarque in Helsinki, Finland. He began his career in feature animation and visual effects, contributing to films such as Legend of the Guardians, Sucker Punch, Happy Feet 2, Prometheus, World War Z and was part of the Academy Award, VES, and BAFTA-winning VFX team on Gravity.’
- Alex Ocias – ‘Makes interactive toys for web browsers, exploring how touchscreens can offer a warm, personal and engaging interface. His work often involves creative simulations that evaporate the screen, allowing for imaginative interactions between the player and the game.’
- Sam Murrandah – ‘Sam Murrandah is a proud Gundungurra game developer based in Sydney, Australia on Darug Land. He is the founder of 26W Studios, an independent studio focused on making game development more transparent and sharing the realities behind creating games.’
- Evan Andrews and Rose Hammer of Tempo Lab Games – ‘Evan is a game designer, director and software engineer, and one half of Tempo Lab Games. He is responsible for conceiving indie rhythm title Bits & Bops, and transforming it from an early prototype into a complete and polished video game. Rose is the other half of Tempo Lab Games. She is a multi-talented artist whose illustrations, animation, designs and art direction bring Bits & Bops‘ characters and environments to life.’
- Reizor Cox – ‘Ray “Reizor” Cox is a disabled, queer, genderfluid/trans artist of many crafts and mediums. These include: wood, metal, cloth, and words both spoken and scribbled. Currently she splits her time between writing revolutionary sci-fi tabletop games and crafting utopian space poetry.’
- Georgina De Manning – ‘Georgina de Manning is the director at Winter Schloss Studios, and the sole developer of the vampiric visual novel Night Shift: 1999 which was funded through Screen Australia’s Emerging Gamemakers Fund, marking her entry into the games industry from the fine arts.’
- Rohan Nowell – ‘With a Bachelor of Business from UTS and a history in website development, Rohan pivoted to indie game development in 2019. His first published game Swoopy Boi (2020) was downloaded over 30,000 times on iOS and Android in its first week, hitting Australia’s Top 30 and Top 10 charts on the respective stores. Rohan is currently working full-time on his second commercial release, Doggy Don’t Care.’
‘The local games industry here in Sydney is deeply important to both Waypoint and Serenade, which is a big reason for us broaching the idea of the initial collaboration in 2024,’ Ryan Penning and Liezl Ronquillo, Co-Directors of Waypoint say.
‘Hosting Constellations at the Sydney Opera House is a wonderful opportunity for the local game development community. We believe games and their developers deserve a showing of this stature and given the same breadth of admiration and importance in a venue as culturally beloved as the Sydney Opera House.’
‘At Constellations, you’ll find long-beloved veterans of the industry; you’ll see the stories of those only just starting to emerge; you’ll play and see the games forming part of the beautiful ecosystem of Sydney’s games industry. With this event, we openly encourage the developers to bring forth their true and genuine selves to showcase to everyone how cherished and important this industry is.’
Stuart Buchanan, Head of Screen at the Sydney Opera House, was also enthusiastic about the upcoming event and what it may do for local creatives.
‘The Sydney Opera House has always been a place of creativity, community, and storytelling,’ Buchanan says. ‘We are proud to celebrate games as a contemporary artform and to enable artists, creators, and their audiences to explore innovative, interactive forms of creative expression.’
