Expo Gamers 2026 Successfully Behind Us
A Boutique Croatian Event Solidifies its Status as Southeast Europe's Leading Gaming Hub
The coastal city of Opatija, Croatia, hosted the third edition of Expo Gamers this weekend, gathering over 2,000 attendees, more than 50 international speakers, and featuring 70 program sessions across a packed two-day schedule. Expo Gamers successfully highlighted the immense creativity, passion, and community driving the Adriatic and regional European market, proving that the heart of the industry lies in its people.
The event welcomed representatives from global and regional powerhouses, including Larian Studios, Electronic Arts (EA), Supercell, Housemarque, Opus Artz, XDS Spark, Outfit7, Mad Head Games, Nanobit, and Croteam, bringing immense industry prestige to the Kvarner region. A major highlight of the conference was the panel "The Voice & Music of a Masterpiece – Baldur's Gate 3", featuring actors Tim Downie (Gale) and BAFTA winning Andrew Wincott (Raphael), alongside the BAFTA winning composer Borislav Slavov.
Beyond the major headlines, the true heart of the event beat within its international Indie Zone, the largest to date. Independent studios from Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria presented their authentic, passionate projects directly to investors, publishers, and enthusiastic players. Organizers Marta Glazar and Valentina Yoe highlighted this area as the weekend's greatest success, noting that seeing long queues of people waiting to test independent games was the ultimate validation for their efforts.
Highlighting the importance of education and social awareness in game development, a special art contest challenged regional high schoolers to design inclusive videogame characters, focusing on neurodivergence or disability without relying on cliché "superpowers." Zagreb-based student Klara Peric took home first place among an incredibly mature and empathetic pool of talent, proving that the future of the regional creative ecosystem is bright.
The bustling event was filled with great vibes, allowed numerous attendees to enjoy esports tournaments, a nostalgic "Balkan-style" Retro Zone featuring lace doilies on CRT monitors, and an outdoor Beer Garden that provided the perfect backdrop for informal collaboration. The speakers and guests were pleasantly surprised and praised the event itself, the organization, the location - the views, warm sea, amazing croatian cuisine and the connections they made along the way.
Following a highly successful 2026 edition, organizers have already confirmed plans to expand the project further next year.
