PG Connects Nordics 2026 reveals five must-see sessions on studio leadership, AI strategy and world-building

PG Connects Nordics returns to Helsinki on October 20-21, 2026 with the schedule now live and tickets available starting at €198 for Mid Term pricing. The expanded conference spans 16 expert-led tracks addressing the Nordic games market, global trends, growth strategies, AI, monetisation, developer stories, cross-platform development, investment opportunities and user acquisition.

The organisers have highlighted five sessions worth prioritising among the 42 hours of content across two days. Saara Bergström from Next Games will discuss studio leadership through "Scaling Joy – Crafting Games for Everyone In The Room," exploring how strong core values and focus on player fun anchor teams through growth as Next Games develops living-room gaming titles for Netflix. Bergström will address how to lead a studio to build platform-defining games with multiple launches annually.

Mariina Hallikainen from Colossal Order takes a retrospective approach in a separate session, walking through how the studio shifted from gut-feeling decisions to evidence-based choices when identifying audiences and market opportunities. Hallikainen will share methods for determining who a game is really for, uncovering market opportunities, and grounding assumptions about player interest in data.

Dr. Luke Dicken, former Head of AI for Take-Two Interactive and founder of LuDic AI, leads a pragmatist-focused session on navigating generative AI claims. Titled "Surviving the AI Hype Cycle – A Pragmatist's View," the talk addresses four years of inflated claims about AI's impact, examining what actually works, what doesn't, and best practices to position studios effectively without over-extending into unstable technology spaces or missing genuine efficiencies.

Miro Vesterinen from Remedy Entertainment will explore "Environment Art and World-Building of CONTROL Resonant," examining how the team builds large-scale environments for the paranatural open world set in Manhattan. The session covers creative foundations, how factions shape environments, and practical production methods combining handcrafted assets with procedural generation to maintain artist-driven systems while efficiently populating large locations.

A live interview with Neil Houari, Executive Producer at Embark Studios, rounds out the five highlighted sessions, exploring the popularity of ARC Raiders and lessons applicable to studios developing competitive multiplayer titles.

The conference attracts over 1,500 attendees from 50 countries, with 70 percent being game makers and 50 percent C-level executives. The event covers development across mobile, PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, HTML5 and XR platforms, featuring 110+ speakers from companies including Supercell, Rovio, King, Housemarque, Fingersoft, EA Dice, Stillfront and others. One ticket provides access to both PG Connects Nordics and the AI Gamechangers Summit, with Mid Term pricing offering savings of up to €116.