The 22nd annual Games for Change Festival will take place June 26 and June 27 in New York under the theme “Designing for Tomorrow.”
The event will take place at the Parsons School of Design in New York City and the group put out a call this week for speakers and awards through February 5.
For over two decades, the G4C Festival has been the premier global event for bringing together game developers, creators, educators, and social innovators who believe in the power of games and immersive media to drive real-world change.
Under the theme “Designing for Tomorrow,” the festival will explore how games and immersive media can foster collaboration across generations, perspectives, and sectors. During the two-day Festival, attendees will engage in keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking opportunities centered around three primary tracks: Games & Learning, Civics & Social Issues, and Health & Wellbeing. XR programming will be integrated throughout all tracks.
New this year, G4C will host a master class series on June 25, where industry leaders and game design experts will lead in-depth learning sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from high-profile gaming professionals as they share their expertise on topics like in-platform game development, the power of play and design, and securing funding. These are carefully curated sessions tailored for the G4C community.
The Games for Change Awards ceremony on June 26, a cornerstone of the Festival, will celebrate excellence in social impact games and immersive media. Categories include Most Significant Impact, Best in Innovation, and Best Narrative, among others. This year, the Awards ceremony introduces a new category, “Best Platform-Based Project,” recognizing impactful games and immersive experiences created within established gaming platforms (such as Minecraft, Roblox, or Fortnite Creative) that leverage built-in tools and communities to drive meaningful social impact.
“For 22 years, the Games for Change Festival has been a meeting ground for cross-sector innovation in games and immersive media,” said Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change, in a statement. “As our industry continues to evolve, we’re expanding our programming to meet the moment. Our new Masterclass series and enhanced awards program reflect the growth and excitement of our sector. We’re thrilled to return to Parsons, where we can build on this momentum and foster the next wave of collaboration and innovation.”
Pollack was the emcee at our recent GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games event in December, and she is a frequent speaker at events on how games can accomplish so much social good beyond entertainment.
Speaker and Award submissions are open until February 5, 2025. For more information, visit festival.gamesforchange.org.
The previous 21st annual festival in New York explored “The 2030 Marker: A Catalyst for Global Change,” bringing together over 150 speakers from 12 countries. The event united 2,300 in-person and virtual attendees for 65 talks and workshops. Beyond New York, our chapter festivals in Africa, Asia, India, Türkiye, and Latin America expanded its global impact, connecting changemakers across continents.
The group also hosted the 2nd Annual Games & SDG Summit at the UN, bringing together 180 leaders to forge new partnerships and drive actionable solutions.
Games for Change also added new board members: Benjamin Golant: senior director for global game Policy at Tencent Americas; Samir El Agili: chairman at Tilting Point; and Mark Stanley: founder of Strategic Gaming Collective, advisor for Playing for the Planet, and advocate for using games to address global challenges.
Last year, Games for Change’s impact report said it had 21 festivals, 86 G4C award winners, five global G4C chapters, 22 global chapter events, 58,000 students reached and 75% students in Title I schools.
