Hello all, and happy spring! We’ve got a jam-packed lineup of exciting news, event highlights, and opportunities to share. Level Up Showcase 2025 was the biggest event of its kind in Canada, we are announcing our Indie Superboost Gamescom 2025 program, reminding all IO Members of their exclusive discounts for XP Game Summit, and more.
Level Up Showcase 2025
Level Up Showcase (LUS) 2025 was a rousing success! With 4,000 attendees and 150+ student teams representing 23 Ontario colleges and universities, the 2025 edition was their biggest—and brightest—yet. During the event, IO and the organizers of LUS were honoured to host a visit for Minister of Tourism, Culture & Gaming Stan Cho–who also delivered inspiring remarks–, MPP PA Billy Denault, senior officials from Ontario Creates and the City of Toronto, plus studio executives. Their tour highlighted the creativity and technical innovation bursting from Ontario’s emerging video game and XR talent. A special shout-out to the participating students, award-winning and honourable mentions’ teams, academic advisors, LUS team, XP Gaming team, 100+ industry jurors, 30+ contributing studios, volunteers, and sponsors.
To cap off the most successful Level Up Showcase yet, Interactive Ontario President & CEO Lucie Lalumière presented the inaugural Champions of Ontario Game Talent Award—created by Interactive Ontario and XP Gaming—to the four trailblazing educators at the heart of the initiative: Emma Westecott (OCAD U), Steve Engels (UoT), Jeremy Liepert (Brock U), and Dushan Horvat (Algonquin College). Their remarkable contributions have been pivotal in shaping the world‑class talent that fuels Ontario’s game industry. Thank you, Champions, for all that you do!
ISB Gamescom 2025: Pitch & Publisher Prep
Elevate Your Studio at Gamescom 2025 with Interactive Ontario and SpielFabrique!
Our ISB Gamescom 2025: Pitch & Publisher Prep Program is a four-month online accelerator (May–August 2025) capped off with on-site support at Gamescom. Ideal for Ontario game studios looking to perfect their pitches, connect with global publishers, and supercharge their network alongside fellow Ontario devs, and up to 30 European studios.
- When: May 2025 – August 2025 (online) + Gamescom (August 20-24)
- What’s Included:
- Expert-led workshops on pitch development and event strategy
- Personalized written feedback on your pitch deck and Gamescom plan
- Online pitch sessions with mentors and SpielFabrique alumni
- On-site “open desk” support at the SpielFabrique booth during Gamescom
- Connecting with up to 30 European studios, greatly expanding your network
- Who: Ontario-based independent video game companies (PC/Console/Mobile), attending Gamescom 2025
- Program Fee: $100 CAD + HST (IO Members) or $250 CAD + HST (Non-members)
Deadline to Apply: April 23, 2025 (5:00 pm ET) — only 5 studios will be selected
Secure a spot, gain invaluable industry insight, and make meaningful international connections at Gamescom 2025!
ALSO: If you are headed to Cologne for Gamescom 2025, and are an Ontario-based video game studio, please reach out to our team to be added to our exclusive Discord channel for Ontario devs making the trip to Germany this summer!
XP Code Reminder / What Publishers Do You Want to See at XP?
Interactive Ontario Members have now all received their XP Game Summit 2025 code! We are very pleased to share that XP Game Summit is offering their steepest reduced rate, a 20% discount, exclusively to Interactive Ontario Members. And this year, both their Conference and VIP passes are included in this deal.
This discount can be combined with the Early Bird promotional rate (available until May 23rd), making for even more savings. If you are a member of IO, or wish to learn more about becoming a member, please contact our team today. We can’t wait to see you in Toronto this June!
Also, help us bring your dream partners to XP Game Summit 2025! Interactive Ontario and our friends at XP are continuing to curate a powerhouse roster of publishers, platforms, and investors for this year’s summit—but we want your wish list. Which companies would you like to see at this event? Please ping communications@interactiveontario.com with the names on your radar, and we’ll do our best to get them on the guest list.
IO Partner Spotlight
Tip to Tale automates accounting for digital‑media and game studios—from first cut to final wrap. Their services cover bookkeeping, operational consulting, T2 returns, audit & assurance, and OIDMTC filings. Streamlined workflows speed up cost reports and tax‑credit packages, so studios unlock funding sooner.
IO members get 10 % off all services.
And, as an Interactive Ontario Member, you can also find our highly valuable Funding Database resource, which includes over 90 different funding opportunities available to video game and XR developers, in our membership hub. This list is constantly being updated, and our team is happy to assist and answer any questions you may have regarding these opportunities.
New & Returning IO Members
Welcome and thank you to all of our recent new and returning IO Members KWT Games, Lofty Sky Entertainment, Ontario Game Testers, Past Imperfect Games, Puzzle Cats, Reptoid Games, Riyo Games, Sodawolf, Fenyx Digital, Soft Rains Ltd, Tree Bear Interactive, Vast Green Country Inc., and Xiaofanchuan Games Inc.
