GCAP 2026 Keynotes Announced: Alanah Pearce, Housemarque and Mixtape Developers Join Melbourne Conference

Games Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) will return to Melbourne from 5–7 October 2026 for the conference's 20th anniversary. Organized by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), the event brings together game developers, studios, publishers and interactive entertainment professionals from Australia and around the world during Melbourne International Games Week.

Alanah Pearce, video game writer, narrative director and YouTuber, has been announced as the conference's final keynote speaker. Other keynotes include Gregory Louden, Creative Director at Housemarque who directed SAROS and previously worked on Returnal, and Samantha Low, co-founder of the Southeast Asian Games Showcase and a publishing director known for championing independent games from Southeast Asia and Japan. Amanda Farough, Director of Production at Causeway Studios and Executive Producer at Strange Scaffold, rounds out the keynote lineup.

The program will feature "High Fidelity: Designing and Refining Mixtape," a session with the Beethoven & Dinosaur team discussing the game's development. Creative Director Johnny Galvatron will host the discussion with Senior Programmer Geordie Hall, 3D/Environment Artist Harry Truman, Principal Animator Joe Toole, Animator Lily Pagalis-Jackson and Character Artist Mariska Harasymiw, covering tools, tech art, lighting and animation.

The conference will explore how developers can prepare for industry changes, find their niche in independent development and use analytics more effectively. Structured networking sessions connect developers and industry specialists to discuss current challenges.

The Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) will take place at GCAP on Wednesday, October 7. The Game of the Year finalists are Aether & Iron by Chaos Theory Games with Seismic Squirrel, Go-Go Town! by Prideful Sloth, Mixtape by Beethoven & Dinosaur, and Momento by Fat Alien Cat & Nomo Studio with Screen Queensland & Silver Lining Interactive. Bits & Bops and Mixtape each received five nominations. Jordan Raskopoulos and Lee Naimo will host the ceremony.