EU-supported professional training and networking program dedicated to upskill studios across Europe
GameSkills is designed for game professionals and studios who need more than inspiration: they need operational answers, proven methods and structured exchanges with peers to navigate today’s industry shifts. AI disruption, evolving production pipelines, market saturation, sustainability and accessibility are no longer future challenges — they are operational realities. GameSkills helps you tackle them with the right experts, alongside peers facing the same constraints across Europe.
In a nutshell
50 European Studios
250 Professionals
48 Hours per person
5 Role-based tracks
Join 250 professionals, from 50 European studios, in a peer-driven learning environment, built around exchange, perspective and collaboration.
Hands-on training with international experts from leading studios and flagship projects, focusing on real-world challenges :
- 240 hours of subsidised training for 5 team members( 6 modules of 8 hours each equals to 48 hours / per member ) :
- The program is structured around 5 role-based tracks (Arts, Business, Design, Production, Technology), each combined with 6 themes, resulting in a total of 30 dedicated modules.
- Each role-based track availble for the 5 members, is combined with the different themes, consisting of 6 modules of 8 hours each.
- Modules will be delivered remotely over 4 days of the same week (2 hours per day), from April to November 2026
One face-to-face workshop at gamescom dev (formely devcom) in Cologne, plus full access to the technical conference
5 passes for the gamescom business area and a shared meeting point
Co-funded by Creative Europe – MEDIA ( 90% subsidized )
You gain:
- Practical tools to adapt your production, tech, design and business strategies to current market conditions
- Clear perspectives on realistic and responsible AI adoption, production pipelines, market evolution and emerging industry standards
- High-level thinking grounded in real production constraints, leadership responsibilities, product deliveries and management experience
No theory-heavy lectures, no sales pitches — only practical insights, concrete workflows and hard-earned lessons you can apply immediately in your studio.
Selection criteria
Selection is based on motivation, relevance, and alignment with the program’s objectives.
Particular attention will be given to studios that demonstrate :
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A strong commitment to long-term skills development
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A focus on gender diversity
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Based in low production capacity countries (see list below)
Prices
The amount of the EU subsidy depends on the country where the applying company is based.
The full fee for companies based in countries not in any of the lists is 18,500€
Price includes for the studio:
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30 remote training sessions – 8 hours each, for teams of up to 5 participants
(6 Modules per participant) -
GameSkills summit– live at gamescom dev, Cologne (August)
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5 full passes to gamescom dev (formerly devcom Conference)
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5 event passes to gamescom
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Access to the GameSkills Discord community – connect, exchange and collaborate with peers
Program Overview
| Technical changes | Artificial Intelligence | Market trends | Diversity & Inclusion | Accessibility | Sustainability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Design | Designing Systems that Scale and Evolve without Breaking | From Classic Game AI to Adaptive Gameplay Systems | Designing for Engagement in Saturated Markets | Balancing Representation, Narrative Coherence and Creative Intent | Accessibility as a Design Standard, Not an Afterthought | Designing Game Mechanics with Long-Term Impact in Mind |
| Technology | Modern Pipelines Under Pressure: Tools, Teams and Trade-Offs | AI Systems for Simulation, World Logic and NPC Behaviour | Build or Buy? Engine Strategy Between Sovereignty, Control and Scale | Keep your Technical skills- Level up your Soft Skills |
Solving Accessibility Challenges at the Technical Level | Reducing Environmental Impact Through Technical Decisions in Game Dev |
| Production | From Production Metrics to Management Decisions | Automating Repetitive Production Tasks Without Losing Oversight | How Market Pressure Reshapes Team Size and Production | How to Create a Safe (and Efficient) Work Environment for Good | Managing Accessibility Across the Production Pipeline | Measuring Environmental Impact to Inform Decisions |
| Business & Marketing | Store Algorithms and Strategies for Game Discoverability | Using AI to Inform Business Decisions — Not to Make Them | Rethinking Value Sharing, Risk and Control in a Fragmented Game Market | Expanding Audiences Without Alienating Existing Ones | Accessibility as a Market and Business Advantage | Turning Sustainable Practices into Measurable Positive Impact |
| Arts & Asset Creation | In-Engine Content Creation and Asset Pipelines | Building Secure AI Pipelines for Scalable Art Direction |
Standing Out Visually in a Saturated Game Market |
Expanding Your Game’s Reach through Culturalization |
Art Direction for Clear and Playable Worlds | Asset Reuse and Upcycling as a Creative Strategy |
Experts Overview
Tara Voelker
Senior Accessibility Producer
Netflix Games
Will Shen
Creative Director Lead Designer
Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Karla Reyes
Founder & Creative Director
Anima Interactive
Tülay McNally
Sr. Director Play4All Strategy
Scopely
Kate Edwards
CEO, principal Consultant & Geographer
Geogrify LLC
Jennifer Estaris
Sustainability & Games Consultant
Celia Hodent
Game UX Strategy consultant
Ignacio Amaya
AI/ML Engineer
Rovio Entertainment
Sophie Vo
Game Executive & Leadership Coach
Rise and Play
Tommy Thompson
Director
AI and Games
Rami Ismail
Founder
ramiismail.com
Bianca Marina S.
Senior Software Engineer driving Accessibility
Unity
Cari Watterton
Accessibility Designer
Scopely
Sophie Barteau
Sustainability Program Manager
Ubisoft
Valentina Marchetti
Director Product Strategy