Conference Day 2 - 9th September 2026

This session dives into the evolving world of player testing, analysing player data, and Quality Assurance, exploring how studios can choose the right testing methods to match their game’s genre, scale, and audience. The panellist will discuss their best practices for:

• Selecting effective testing methods by matching player testing approaches to the game’s needs and development stage.
• Integrating QA throughout development by using pre launch and post launch testing to improve stability and player experience.
• Strengthening long term quality by leveraging community involvement and building feedback loops that support continuous improvement for future games and/or live updates.

Cristian Girbea

Director of Quality - Portfolio and Player Excellence.
Rovio Entertainment Corporation

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Ben Wibberley

Managing Partner
DAQA

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Kelley Campbell

QA Manager
Rebellion Games

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Mike Denny

Quality Assurance Lead
Lighthhouse Games

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Emil Kraftling, a Creative Director at Avalanche Studios Group, shares how he leads the creative vision within Avalanche’s R&D department as part of their self publishing division. His team blends creativity, development strategy, and community insight to craft experiences designed not just to be played, but to become lasting hobbies and beloved everyday pass times for their audience. Emil will explore how this philosophy shapes their approach to innovation and how they nurture ideas that resonate deeply with players by:

• Inviting anyone across the team and within the studio’s internal start-ups to generate game concepts and then provide them with the tools and resources to develop prototypes.
• Running early-stage player testing on their game prototypes while also using telemetry, data analysis, and other forms of user research to develop games that truly resonate with players and eliminate those that don’t.
• Structuring pathways and strategies that allow for successful prototypes to evolve into larger scale projects.

Emil Kraftling

Creative director
Avalanche Studios Group

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AI is quickly becoming part of the default game-dev toolchain—and at the same time, “AI in games” can trigger strong player reactions. In this fireside chat, we’ll share a practical, indie-studio view of where AI tools genuinely improve speed and alignment across production, where they introduce risk (quality consistency, creative ownership, and trust), and how teams can set clear lines so AI supports craft rather than replacing it. Expect real examples, pragmatic trade-offs, and lessons that apply even without a large team or dedicated AI engineers. The discussion will explore:

• Where AI helps most in practice across pre-production (placeholders, art and music inspiration packs, rough storyboards), production (pipeline momentum), and late-stage polish.
• Common failure modes (inconsistent quality, “generic” feel, rework loops) and how teams catch them early with lightweight review routines.
• Player perception and transparency: how to talk about AI use in a human way that protects trust, avoids unnecessary controversy, and stays consistent across marketing, localization and the shipped product.

Paweł Sobotkowski

Co-Founder, Marketing Director & BI
Fornixa Games

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Bartosz Borusiewicz

Head of Studio, CEO & Co-Founder
Fornixa Games

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In this session, Nikola Vasiljević, the Head of Insights at Saber Interactive, explores how studios of all sizes can harness player data and market research to shape a profitable, future proof game portfolio. He’ll walk through real examples and high level graphs that illustrate how strategic choices are made, from genre selection to content prioritisation. Blending business strategy, player behaviour insights, and marketing intelligence, this talk reveals how to create and sustain games that resonate with audiences by:

• Leveraging player data to refine portfolio direction and content strategy.
• Interpreting market research and performance graphs to guide strategic decision making.
• Integrating business, genre, and marketing insights to build games that meet player expectations and give them what they genuinely want.

Nikola Vasiljević

Head of Insights
Saber Interactive

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During this use-case led session, Pierre Miazga, a Studio Marketing and Communications Director at Ubisoft, will share how moving from the publishing headquarters to the studio floor transformed his approach to integrating the player voice throughout development. Drawing on the journey of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, he will illustrate how player insights shaped brand identity, informed key creative decisions, and influenced how audiences ultimately responded. Pierre will outline how he and his teams work on:

• Amplifying player perspectives by embedding audience insights into early development to guide creative and strategic decisions.
• Listening to player feedback, while filtering out the noise, in a way that allows them to stay true to their brand IP and storyline.
• Applying the logic of ‘game positioning’ to strategy for the sake of game and brand longevity.

Pierre Miazga

Marketing & Communication Director
Ubisoft

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Early Access is more than a brief break for player feedback on the journey to launch. For many notable games, it is the critical step that turns team vision into a triumph. ROCKFISH Games Communications & PR Director Lee Guille shares tips & tricks to craft your Early Access marketing plan using strategies and examples from their award-winning and Steam Early Access Platinum Graduate AA space shooter EVERSPACE 2. Participants will discover:

• How to Craft Impactful Beats: Break through the noise to reach players, media, and influencers by creating milestones that matter.
• Early Access Pitfalls and Misconceptions: Is Early Access the right fit for your project? Learn how to recognize opportunities others are walking by.
• Superfans: How to create them and what they can do for your game.
• Data-supported Insights: Find out what worked, what didn’t, and what surprised us over the course of a two-year campaign.
• Timing Pros & Cons: How long is too long in Early Access? Discover the invisible trade-offs made when making these choices.

Lee Guille

Communications & PR Director
ROCKFISH Games

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This panel brings together industry veterans to explore what it truly takes to maintain long term success in a fast moving and highly competitive games market. Speakers will examine how studios can stay resilient amid economic shifts, keep players engaged over time, and adapt to emerging trends such as user generated content. Attendees will gain practical insights into:

• Finding the balance in listening to the player voice and following core business strategies, while navigating competitive pressure.
• Homing in on the marketing KPIs that identify revenue growth opportunities.
• Leveraging engaging IP to shape identifiable brand narratives in and outside the game.

Wille Miljas

Central Marketing Director
Rovio Entertainment

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Paulina Shepanic

Creative Marketing Director
triple espresso

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Neil McClarty

Former SVP of Publishing at Jagex, Founder,
Kritiq

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• Anticipating future trends by understanding the shifts in player behaviour, technology, and market expectations shaping 2027.
• Differentiating in crowded spaces by developing strategies that help live service games stand out and sustain attention.
• Applying industry learnings by leveraging insights from the past year to inform stronger long term planning.