XP Game Summit returns to Toronto to champion Canadian talent and equip developers for global success.
In an industry dominated by flagship events like GDC and DICE, the XP Game Summit 2025 provides a more focused alternative. Taking place during Toronto Games Week, this year’s event brought together developers, publishers, investors, and industry advocates for a series of panels and discussions centered on grassroots innovation and international outreach.
What the XP Game Summit lacks in scale, it makes up for in relevance, with a firm emphasis on Canadian identity and the strength of the Toronto development community. With established studios to indie startups in attendance, the summit feels designed to give local developers the tools they need to connect on a global stage.
Made in Canada
In the session titled “Made in Canada: How We Got Here and What Lies Ahead,” panelists Julien Lavoie, Director of Corporate Affairs at Ubisoft, and Paul Fogolin, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, discussed Canada’s rise as a global leader in game development.
They emphasised the significance of studios like Ubisoft and EA in developing talent hubs in cities such as Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto.
“These big anchor tenants are very important to establishing a presence in an industry, and then a lot of things can happen after that,” Lavoie says. “A whole ecosystem gets created. People leave the company, start their own companies, and it creates a pool of talent, so other publishers or other companies can come from abroad, and that kind of feeds on itself, and it creates these clusters that can grow and evolve.”
Despite the complexities of the global economy and recent concerns about labour and layoffs, Fogolin expresses cautious optimism regarding the future of the Canadian industry. He highlights how supportive immigration programs, tax incentives, and educational pathways can help Canada navigate recent challenges in the sector.
“We’re also sort of blessed by geography,” he explains. “To operate a studio in, let’s say, San Francisco or Santa Monica versus Toronto or Vancouver, you’re looking at maybe double the head costs and operating costs.”
Fogolin also emphasises the increasing export value of Canadian-made games, saying “Eighty-seven percent are exported. People around the world want to play the games you are all creating, and the opportunities are just growing.”
Still, the panelists are clear about the need to tackle ongoing economic pressures and international competition.
“We can’t take our foot off the gas as a country, and I think that’s maybe the message I’d love to impart to this whole audience,” Lavoie urges. “As you’re speaking to your members of parliament, as you’re speaking to any kind of elected leaders or government folks, tell them the story about the video game industry. I think this is a shared responsibility that we all have. It can’t just be a few industry associations that deliver that message. It’s something that the industry has to hold on its own and deliver that message to say, hey, we’ve developed something really special here.”
The takeaway is that if Canada wants to stay at the forefront of the global games industry, everyone – from developers to policymakers – needs to understand and support its impact.
Reviving Culture
One of the summit’s most impactful talks came from Joshua Nilson, the founder of East Side Games.In a presentation titled “Can Games Help Revive an Indigenous Language?” Nilson shared how his team uses Roblox to create Métis Life, an interactive world that explores Métis culture and the endangered Michif language. Despite some scepticism about Roblox, Nilson argues that it’s the ideal platform for connecting with Indigenous cultures. Games, he says, can help restore what was nearly lost.
“One of the first things that happens when you colonise people is you take away their language, so they can’t talk shit about you,” Nilson says. “So it’s like rediscovering, right?”
Métis Life includes badges modelled on traditional beadwork, food items like bannock and pemmican, and spaces for storytelling and community. “Language is supposed to be communication,” Nilson says. “It’s not supposed to be something that’s really daunting or that you should feel bad because you don’t know how to pronounce it.”
Nilson says that many decisions made by the team – such as using animal names and easily understandable phrases – are intended to empower young players. “We wanted to build something kids could pick up quickly, so they’re not intimidated, they’re excited,” he explains. Normalising the use of Indigenous languages in everyday digital spaces reduces the barriers to engagement, making learning intuitive, enjoyable, and culturally rooted.
Nilson hopes Métis Life will inspire other Indigenous communities to create their own interactive educational tools.
Retro Meets Real
Elsewhere, the summit also highlighted several indie projects with a strong sense of pride and place. Retroronto, developed by Starspray Studios, caught the eye for its exuberant take on Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods. The game presents a 2D exploration of the city, reminiscent of Retro City Rampage, with a pixelated recreation of the city’s streets and landmarks.
The game’s design captures the hustle and bustle of Canada’s largest city through a playful loop of exploration, mini-games, and NPC interactions. And despite its retro aesthetics, the game conveys the Toronto’s distinctive atmosphere remarkably well. As one attendee at the demo put it, “Hyperlocal can be hyperpowerful!”
These moments from this year’s XP Game Summit showcase a national industry in active dialogue with itself. An industry that is balancing local identity, global ambition, and the everyday realities of Canadian game development.
From Joshua Nilson’s call to embrace vulnerability in learning to the ESAC’s plea to safeguard hard-earned achievements, the summit delivered a clear message: Canada’s gaming industry has momentum and creativity in abundance, but it won’t sustain itself without continued innovation and effort.
