Speakers Lineup 2026

CEO and co-founder of CM Games

A global publishing leader with over $100M in lifetime revenue and a legacy of innovation across mobile, VR, and blockchain. He co-created the pioneering Drag Racing series, which surpassed 400 million downloads and earned him a permanent spot in the PocketGamer.biz "Mobile Gaming Hall of Fame." Today, he leverages nearly two decades of industry leadership to shape the long-term vision, culture, and strategic partnerships for the studio’s next generation of titles.

Co-director & CEO, Women in Games

An award-winning entrepreneur, executive consultant, and curator whose expertise is widely sought for policy development, research initiatives, and global trade fairs across the gaming and tech sectors. As CEO of Women in Games, she leads a global mission to empower women and girls while building a fairer, safer, and more equal games ecosystem. She also serves as a Chair and Trustee for a range of influential industry, charity, and educational organizations.

Senior Game Design Director, EA

As Senior Game Design Director at EA Tracktwenty studio in Helsinki, Finland, Stanović has 14 years of experience working in companies such as Rovio, Supercell, and EA. His focus is on mobile free-to-play titles, having worked on projects such as SimCity BuildIt and HayDay.

Composer and Music Director, Larian Studios

Multiple award-winning composer, best known for his soundtracks for the video games "Divinity: Original Sin 2" , "Baldur's Gate 3" as well as "Crysis 2 & 3". For the past 20 years he's been specializing in production and implementation of adaptive video game music, which changes and evolves in real-time according to players’ decisions and actions.

Chief Strategy Officer, DDA

Spearheading campaigns with a focus on innovative creative leadership and industry expertise across all of company’s functional areas of film, television, games and brands. A veteran entertainment strategist, Julie's notable career highlights include serving as the UK Awards Lead for Apple TV+, where she contributed to the historic Best Picture Oscar win for CODA. Julie is a member of both the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and BAFTA recently serving as the Board of Trustees Deputy Chair.

CEO & Recording Artist, Field & Foley

A recording artist, sound designer and host of the Field & Foley Podcast. His work focuses primarily on games but also includes short films and a variety of other audio projects. Whether in the studio or out in the field, he’s usually recording ambiences, impulse responses, or testing how things sound when hit together.

Freelance Artist - Igayah

Artist from Poland with over a decade of experience in the art industry. She has contributed to internationally acclaimed projects such as Magic: The Gathering, Loving Vincent, The Wagadu Chronicles, and Stranger Comics - working as an illustrator, painter, concept artist and art director. While her professional background includes mainly polished digital fantasy art for games, animation and publishing, her heart is strongly drawn towards traditional media, creating art inspired by a present moment.

Founder and CEO, Waveform Studio

Highly acclaimed composer known for his exceptional work in the realm of video game music. His musical prowess has left an indelible mark on the gaming world, with his compositions prominently featured in renowned titles such as Destiny 2, Cyberpunk 2077, the Warhammer 40K franchise, and Aliens: Dark Descent. Nikola's ability to create evocative and dynamic scores has contributed to the immersive experiences of these blockbuster games, solidifying his reputation as one of sought-after composers in the industry.

FeelsGood Capital

A Finn who moved to Croatia in 2014, and for the past few years has been a part of Feelsgood Capital Partners, Croatia's first and only social impact VC fund. He is passionate about scaling impact-aligned companies, and highlights that Feelsgood invests in the sector of "Culture & Creativity", which includes games that provide positive forms of entertainment. 

Founder, Le Cabinet du Savoir Ludique, Vice Chair at IGDA Global

Spanish-Lebanese award-winning gaming industry professional and BATFA member with over 17 years of experience spanning localization, marketing, culturalization, esports, and communications. Having contributed to more than 90 global titles and campaigns across 14+ publishers, Nazih now leads Cabinet du Savoir Ludique, an independent consultancy focused on inclusive game development. Nazih currently serves as Vice Chair of the IGDA Board of Directors and of the IGDA Game Credits Special Interest Group.

Co-founder, XDS Spark

External Development veteran and XDS Advisory Committee member who started in the games industry as an artist. Began working with external teams at Sumo Digital in 2007, before becoming Outsource Manager. Took a central position at Xbox Games Studios in 2014 as Director of External Partners. In 2024, after 10 years at Xbox he left to co-found XDS Spark with Chris Wren. A platform designed to bring service providers and buyers together while advancing and advocating for external developments exciting future.

Founder and CEO, Game Art Co

Game art educator and founder of Game Art Co., delivering industry-led B2B game art training for companies. With over 15 years of experience in education and professional training, Nick has mentored emerging talent and reached more than 28,000 learners in 163 countries worldwide. Some of Nicks prominent clients include giants like Fingersoft, Kuuasema, and Critical Force.

CEO, Edugametion, Discovery at PlayStack

As CEO of Edugametion, Juha is the architect of premier online game design education, leveraging a 22-year career and 90+ published titles to mentor the next generation of developers. Simultaneously serving as General Manager at Playstack, he leads game discovery and publishing services. A veteran of Housemarque and Digital Chocolate with 30+ industry awards, Juha sits on the NeoGames board and remains a driving force in bridging the gap between game education and global commercial success.

Vice President, Cro StartUp

A leading legal expert in the Adriatic tech ecosystem, specializing in startups, investment, and regulatory frameworks since 2013. A driving force in the regional AI and startup landscape, she is the co-founder of CroAI and Vice President of CroStartup. An EMBA graduate and TEDx speaker, Marijana is a prominent advocate for AI Ethics and Data Science regulation. She is also a champion for professional equality, serving as President of PWN Zagreb and on the Supervisory Board of MBA Croatia.

Design Director & Studio Lead, Kuuasema

An industry veteran with a career spanning three decades and more than 10 studios, Risto specializes in the intersection of game design, leadership, and business strategy. As a Designer and Director who has released 20+ titles, his experience ranges from agile hypercasual teams to MMORPG productions. Currently a driving force at Kuuasema, Risto leverages his expertise in F2P economy, monetization, and creative direction to help teams navigate the complexities of modern development. His mission is simple yet vital: create unforgettable games, help people work on what they love, and do great business while at it.

Chief Creative Officer at Mad Head Games

As one of the pioneers of game development in the region and Chief Creative Officer at Mad Head Games (a Saber Interactive studio), Uroš holds the role of Game Director on Mad Head Games' first unannounced AAA project - based on a beloved and well-known franchise - marking the studio's most ambitious chapter yet.

With more than two decades of experience in the industry, he was one of the key people to lead the studio's transition from casual into core AAA games, leaving his mark from early titles all the way to Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival, a first-person action horror game and Mad Head Games' latest announced project.

Beyond his expertise across 3D and 2D art, animation, and game design, Uroš is also one of the co-founders of the Serbia Games Association (SGA).

Co-founder & Creative Director, Opus Artz

Chee Wong is the co-founder & creative director of  Opus Artz, a London visual design agency specializing in concept design & IP development. The studio's collaborative works span almost two decades of video game expertise in action, horror & sports genres: Diablo IV, Split Fiction, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War Ragnarok, Hitman, Mafia 3, Division, Battlefield Hardline, FC.

External Development Director, Housemarque

After gaining valuable mobile game dev experience at Supercell, contributing to all early titles including Clash of Clans and Hay Day, Niko shifted focus in 2014 on console games, leading eventually to AAA title Returnal for PS5 in 2021. Niko is a self-taught artist and animator who began his game development journey in 2000 with educational games, driven by a dedication to continuous learning. His career includes numerous game art roles, such as art direction and management. He ran art outsourcing often on the side of main work, and took on managing External Development full-time in 2018 for all Housemarque titles.