The New Zealand Game Developers Conference (NZGDC), the country’s premier games industry event, will return to Auckland for the first time in nearly ten years. Organised by the not-for-profit New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA) and supported by Auckland Council, the conference runs from 30 September to 3 October 2026 at the newly opened New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), under the theme “Shaping Our World”.

Mobile game marketing is entering a new phase defined by faster creative iteration, broader AI adoption, and a growing focus on player quality. The 2026 Global Mobile Game & AI Marketing Insights, published by SocialPeta, Playio, and Funtap Games, examines how these shifts are changing advertising strategies in the first half of 2026.

On September 16, the European Commission officially unveiled a draft law called the EU Kids Act, which could make it more difficult for European minors to access online games. The initiative was immediately criticized by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.

This will occur as part of an initiative to enhance the protection of minors online, reports Politico.

The company Everplay Group (formerly Team17 Group) is very pleased with the launch of the military sandbox Wardogs. So much so that it decided to increase its shareholding in Super Media Group — the nominal owner of the Bulkhead studio, founded a year ago by Bulkhead’s own leaders.

In South Korea, a scandal is unfolding. Kwon Hyuk-bin, the founder of Smilegate, known primarily for the games Crossfire and Lost Ark, has divorced after four years of legal battles—resulting in a significant portion of his assets going to his ex-wife Lee Hwa-jin.

The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) shared an analysis of the local industry in its report, The Game Industry of Poland — Report 2025. Here are some key figures and facts from it.

The game has been downloaded 20 million times.

A cozy project about underwater hunting and sushi preparation has reached impressive sales figures.

Both applications can be submitted until September 11, inclusive.

The French studio behind Remember Me and the original Life Is Strange has only a few months of runway left. Its future beyond January 2027 is suddenly in doubt.

Despite the crisis in the industry, the number of publishers is increasing.

One of the major AI deals of the year: the largest AI chip manufacturer is purchasing the most popular platform for hosting AI models.

Both platforms have announced that the analytic service SteamDB has joined forces with the game modding site Nexus Mods.

For titles released in the year 2026, the revenue stands at $1,728. This is more than ten times less than in 2016.

Polish analysts from DM BOŚ calculated the potential revenue from the Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The estimated amount is substantial.

Microsoft’s gaming division has officially announced a new option for owners of XBOX One and XBOX Series X consoles. In just a few days, they will have the ability to digitize their game discs.

The analytics company Newzoo is optimistic about the future of the gaming market, at least in terms of revenue. They expect that by 2026, gamers worldwide will spend $213.9 billion on video games—more than ever before.

In July 2026, SuperCity turned 15. Over that time, Playkot’s game evolved from a browser-based city-building project into one of the company’s longest-running products – and one of the longest-running titles in the genre overall – generating more than $100 million in revenue and reaching 40 million installs. The story of SuperCity is interesting not only because of the numbers. It is also the story of how the game repeatedly found itself close to a…