- Over 1,350 delegates, 580+ corporations, 172 audio system, and 22 content material tracks stuffed Wanha Satama for 2 dynamic days of perception, connection, and deal-making.
- Lots of the largest names within the {industry} participating.
- 3 summits, together with Large Display Gaming Summit and new additions, the AI Gamechangers Summit, and Past Video games: Transmedia Summit, are increasing the display’s scope.
- The Aurora: Celebrating Ladies in Video games initiative took centre degree, championing range, mentorship, and management.
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Helsinki has all the time had a heartbeat that syncs with the rhythm of the video games {industry}, however in 2025, that pulse felt louder and quicker. Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025 revisited Wanha Satama and revitalised the venue, remodeling it into an electrifying hub for innovation, collaboration, and candid discussions in regards to the long term trajectory of the regional and world video games trade.
Over 1,350 delegates, 172 audio system, and 22 content material tracks packed into two dynamic days, proving as soon as once more why PGC Helsinki stands on the centre of the Nordic video games {industry} ecosystem. It wasn’t about measurement this 12 months – it was once about substance: sharper insights, braver debates, and deeper cross-industry collaboration.
Lots of the largest names within the {industry} took section within the match, together with Supercell, Rovio, Fingersoft, Housemarque, Treatment, Epic Video games, Netflix, Plarium, Metacore, Loopy Video games, Growth Bit, Take 2, Small Massive, Nazara, Rollic, Sumo, Wooga, Kwalee, Social Level, TikTok, AppCharge, FastPlay, Xsolla, Neon, Stash, Metaplay and plenty of extra.
This 12 months, even the rhythm hit in a different way – Neil Cooper, drummer of other rock band Treatment?, joined the development to proportion a novel standpoint at the evolving dating between song, era, and play. His look underscored the occasions’ increasing cross-disciplinary scope and artistic power.
With 3 new summits, Pocket Jam 8, the Aurora initiative spotlighting females within the Nordic video games {industry}, and a laser focal point on PC, Console, AI and transmedia, PGC Helsinki 2025 raised the bar on each content material and group.
Chris James, CEO, Metal Media, was once understandably bullish:
“This was once our twelfth day trip in Helsinki, and as same old, the Finns didn’t allow us to down. If truth be told, I believe this will were one in all our absolute best editions but!
“No longer solely had been the expo ground, monitor rooms and indie zone busy all through each days, and our further occasions – the Transmedia Summit, AI GameChangers Summit, and Aurora Awards – all really well gained, however there was once additionally an underlying tone of authentic positivity.
“As I stated in my advent to the display, rumours of the Finnish video games {industry}’s dying (from sure quarters) were very a lot exaggerated. This isn’t to mention that Finland and the broader Nordics are immune from the demanding situations dealing with the remainder of the worldwide trade, in relation to expanding festival and price, tightening of funding or unwelcome executive intervention. Then again, they’re however posting report numbers of businesses (270), video games {industry} workers (4,300) and an {industry} turnover of €2.8 billion in 2024.
“So I stand by way of my trust that the local skill, distinctive group engagement (supported by way of IGDAs and native hubs), and improbable corporations and IPs in position make certain that Finland, along side the broader Nordic area, stays some of the absolute best puts on the earth to make video games.
“We’ll indisputably be returning subsequent 12 months!”
Nordic collaborations in complete drive
From cell veterans to transmedia visionaries, this 12 months’s Pocket Gamer Connects was once a portrait of a maturing {industry} dealing with its long term head-on. Over 580 corporations from 44 international locations collected beneath one roof – from agile indie groups to main publishers – and greater than two-thirds hailed from the Nordics, reinforcing Helsinki’s increasing popularity as the thrashing center of northern Europe’s recreation construction.
The numbers inform their very own tale:
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65% excited by cell, 64% on PC/Mac, 31% on console, 21% on XR, and 12% on fast/social video games.
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Part the attendees had been senior decision-makers, with 21% at C-level, and 60% hands-on builders shaping the following technology of video games.
That cross-platform mindset set the tone, reflecting the multi-device fact shaping construction nowadays.
And the conversations didn’t prevent on the espresso line – the MeetToMatch platform powered significant trade connections around the match, with 1,450 scheduled conferences between studios, publishers, traders, and extra taking a look to spark the following wave of collaborations.
3 new summits enlarge the scope
PGC Helsinki 2025 introduced 3 built-in summits – Large Display Gaming, AI Gamechangers, and Past Video games: Transmedia – every tackling some of the {industry}’s fastest-evolving frontiers. The reaction was once electrical. Rooms hit capability early, corridors overflowed, and classes was standing-room-only as attendees packed in to listen to from the voices shaping the following technology of interactive leisure.
Large Display Gaming Summit
This summit seemed past cell to discover PC, console, XR, and next-gen internet platforms, and it drew a crowd that proved how hungry the {industry} is for what’s subsequent. Periods like “Is the Triple-A Video games Marketplace on Fireplace?” and “In combination We Can’t Fail (However Let’s See If We Can Turn out That Flawed)” presented an unfiltered take a look at large-scale manufacturing.
In the meantime, packed classes like “State of Roblox in 2025” and creator-driven panels on Roblox and Fortnite UEFN underscored the explosive momentum of user-generated video games – an area so sizzling it had attendees spilling into the aisles.
AI Gamechangers Summit
AI was once a dominant theme, shooting each the time table and the eye of the group throughout 4 devoted tracks. Throughout 4 complete tracks – AI Advances, Sensible AI, Subsequent-Gen UA, and Long run Codecs – crowds surged to listen to builders, founders, and technologists dissect the truth in the back of AI. Periods like “AI or Die? The Studio Survival Quandary” and “Past the Set of rules – Will AI Redefine Participant Reports?” packed the home, mirroring the depth of the dialog going down industry-wide.
Each the felony and moral panels had been extremely well-liked, with attendees willing to discover the affect of AI on copyright, the evolving body of workers, and artistic possession. The important thing message was once plain: AI has moved past mere dialogue to turn out to be a transformative drive in how we paintings.
Past Video games: Transmedia Summit
For the primary time in Helsinki, in collaboration with The Helsinki Movie Lab, the Past Video games: Transmedia Summit introduced in combination voices from movie, tv, comics, and video games to discover how tales now transfer seamlessly throughout mediums. From recreation diversifications and cinematic universes to branded storytelling and carried out recreation design, audio system showcased an inventive panorama the place limitations are dissolving quick, proving that transmedia convergence isn’t at the method; it’s already arrived.
Highlights integrated Rovio’s Eeva Aaltonen on Offended Birds’ upward push from cell recreation to world phenomenon, Ann Austen on balancing ingenious integrity with logo technique, and Miro Vesterinen of Treatment at the crossover between cinema and interactive worlds. Panels that includes Dreamloop Video games, All Hats, and others tested adapting display screen tales into video games.
On the similar time, classes from Psyon Video games, JWR Ventures, and composers Petri Alanko and Tuomas Kantelinen tackled the whole lot from design loops to world-building thru sound. Director Antti J. Jokinen and a cross-industry panel closed the summit by way of reaffirming a central fact: the way forward for storytelling lies in constructing worlds that go beyond any unmarried medium.
Fabulous Fringe
Our fringe occasions saved the thrill alive and the connections flowing. Investor Connector matched bold studios with traders hungry for the following breakout luck. On the similar time, Writer SpeedMatch grew to become introductions into alternatives in report time, the type of deal-making power that defines Pocket Gamer Connects.
In the meantime, the Very Large Indie Pitch showcased an excellent show of creativity, as builders offered their absolute best builds to a panel of skilled judges. We noticed an excellent number of video games with some shut votes between the highest 5! Nonetheless, following an intense pitching consultation, the winners had been introduced:
Cell:
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1st position: Idle Town Builder by way of Playnest
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second position: Gaming Sofa by way of Gaming Sofa Ltd
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third position: HORTENSIAS by way of Paperclip
PC and Console:
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1st position: Muri: Wildwoods by way of Speldosa Interactive
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second position: Tactichord: Glam Technique by way of Ichigoichie
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third position: Brainshell by way of Not anything Customary
MiTale’s Willow Guard was once a crowd favorite, emerging to the highest to be topped this 12 months’s Large Indie Zone Target market Selection.
Aurora and Energy-Up monitor put range on the center of the development
Some of the standout moments at PGC Helsinki 2025 was once the Aurora: Celebrating Ladies within the Video games Trade birthday party, which was once supported by way of Ladies in Video games. This initiative recognises the ladies who’re using innovation and management all through the Nordic video games {industry}.
Fifteen pros from the Nordics had been honoured for his or her achievements in spaces corresponding to artwork, manufacturing, era, and trade, showcasing a various vary of skill this is shaping the way forward for the {industry}.
In parallel, the Energy-Up Monitor – a wholly women-curated programme – delivered a fascinating collection of talks excited by ingenious innovation, management, and resilience. In combination, Aurora Award and Energy-Up supplied a concrete instance of the way intentional inclusion can also be integrated into match programming, fairly than simply stated theoretically.
The takeaway was once transparent: Fairness isn’t simply the fitting factor to do; it’s elementary to fostering a extra powerful and clever video games {industry}.
The street forward
The Pocket Gamer Connects momentum doesn’t prevent in Helsinki. Subsequent up is Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Korea 2025 (October thirty first), providing a centered alternative to interact with one in all Asia’s maximum dynamic video games markets.
From there, we flip our consideration again to the MENA area for Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba in Jordan (November 7–eighth), bringing in combination regional and world skill to discover the fast-growing alternatives around the Heart East.
And because the calendar flips to a brand new 12 months, the worldwide video games {industry} will reunite at our flagship match, Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 (January 19–twentieth), surroundings the tone for any other 12 months of innovation, collaboration, and enlargement.
