The twenty second annual Video games for Change Pageant will happen June 26 and June 27 in New York underneath the theme “Designing for Tomorrow.”
The occasion will happen on the Parsons Faculty of Design in New York Metropolis and the group put out a name this week for audio system and awards by means of February 5.
For over 20 years, the G4C Pageant has been the premier world occasion for bringing collectively recreation builders, creators, educators, and social innovators who consider within the energy of video games and immersive media to drive real-world change.
Beneath the theme “Designing for Tomorrow,” the pageant will discover how video games and immersive media can foster collaboration throughout generations, views, and sectors. In the course of the two-day Pageant, attendees will interact in keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking alternatives centered round three major tracks: Video games & Studying, Civics & Social Points, and Well being & Wellbeing. XR programming might be built-in all through all tracks.
New this 12 months, G4C will host a grasp class sequence on June 25, the place trade leaders and recreation design consultants will lead in-depth studying classes. Members can have the chance to study from high-profile gaming professionals as they share their experience on subjects like in-platform recreation improvement, the facility of play and design, and securing funding. These are rigorously curated classes tailor-made for the G4C neighborhood.

The Video games for Change Awards ceremony on June 26, a cornerstone of the Pageant, will rejoice excellence in social affect video games and immersive media. Classes embody Most Vital Influence, Greatest in Innovation, and Greatest Narrative, amongst others. This 12 months, the Awards ceremony introduces a brand new class, “Greatest Platform-Based mostly Mission,” recognizing impactful video games and immersive experiences created inside established gaming platforms (resembling Minecraft, Roblox, or Fortnite Inventive) that leverage built-in instruments and communities to drive significant social affect.
“For 22 years, the Video games for Change Pageant has been a gathering floor for cross-sector innovation in video games and immersive media,” stated Susanna Pollack, president of Video games for Change, in an announcement. “As our trade continues to evolve, we’re increasing our programming to satisfy the second. Our new Masterclass sequence and enhanced awards program mirror the expansion and pleasure of our sector. We’re thrilled to return to Parsons, the place we will construct on this momentum and foster the subsequent wave of collaboration and innovation.”
Pollack was the emcee at our current GamesBeat Insider Collection: Hollywood and Video games occasion in December, and she or he is a frequent speaker at occasions on how video games can accomplish a lot social good past leisure.
Speaker and Award submissions are open till February 5, 2025. For extra data, go to pageant.gamesforchange.org.
The earlier twenty first annual pageant in New York explored “The 2030 Marker: A Catalyst for International Change,” bringing collectively over 150 audio system from 12 nations. The occasion united 2,300 in-person and digital attendees for 65 talks and workshops. Past New York, our chapter festivals in Africa, Asia, India, Türkiye, and Latin America expanded its world affect, connecting changemakers throughout continents.
The group additionally hosted the 2nd Annual Video games & SDG Summit on the UN, bringing collectively 180 leaders to forge new partnerships and drive actionable options.
Video games for Change additionally added new board members: Benjamin Golant: senior director for world recreation Coverage at Tencent Americas; Samir El Agili: chairman at Tilting Level; and Mark Stanley: founding father of Strategic Gaming Collective, advisor for Taking part in for the Planet, and advocate for utilizing video games to deal with world challenges.
Final 12 months, Video games for Change’s affect report stated it had 21 festivals, 86 G4C award winners, 5 world G4C chapters, 22 world chapter occasions, 58,000 college students reached and 75% college students in Title I colleges.