There is just over a month left until the WN Conference session in Cyprus takes place. It will be held on September 17-18 in Limassol. We discuss what to expect from the event program in our article.
The WN Conference Cyprus’26 will primarily focus on networking. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in various round tables and group work sessions. However, they will also have the chance to listen to traditional lectures.
It’s impossible to list all the planned discussions in a single publication, so we’ll highlight the most interesting ones.
- One of the key panel discussions will be conducted by Michail Katkoff, the founder of the analytical blog Deconstructor of Fun and a veteran of companies such as Zynga, Rovio Entertainment, and Supercell. The exact topic will be announced later.
- The conference will also feature a panel discussion on the topic "Data and the Leap of Faith: Investing in Games in 2026." It will be moderated by Kirill Gurskiy, Managing Director of GEM Capital.
- Project Manager at Playrix, Murad Musakaev, will present on hidden time losses in the production process. He will explain how to identify unnecessary tasks, automate operations, and ultimately save a significant amount of time.
- Co-founder and CEO of Colossi Games, Manuel Prueter, will moderate a round table dedicated to user acquisition. The topic is titled: "The New UA Stack: Distribution Channels, AI, and Smarter Spend."
- HR Business Partner at Tapclap, Ekaterina Mitina, will hold a panel discussion on the current situation in HR management.
- Another round table will focus on Steam’s marketing challenges. Its participants will discuss what the ideal game of 2026 should look like, what tools and tactics should be used to promote projects, and how to act during a release.
- In the round table "Welcome to the End Times: The Future of Games," gaming industry veterans will discuss what is currently happening in the gaming industry. Should the restructurings, AI developments, and changes in user behavior be considered a crisis, or are they the start of a new cycle? Participants include the founder of Nival, Sergey Orlovsky, founder of Utmost Games, Vladimir Nikolsky, and co-founder of Vizor Interactive, Sergey Bruy.
Additionally, at the WN Conference Cyprus’26 supported by GEM Capital, there will be a large developer exhibition, accompanied by an indie pitch — a presentation of games before investors and industry experts. Please note that applications for both activities are accepted until September 11, but the indie pitch selection is conducted separately.
The conference will also include a raffle (prize draw among participants) supported by OHM.
Don't forget about the expo zone with sponsor booths. In addition to GEM Capital and OHM, companies like Loot, Xsolla, Avow, OHM, Salary.cab, AppFollow, Malpa Games, Garna, Jungle Technology, and AppGrowing will also be present.
One of the conference's highlights will be its own award ceremony called the Cyprus Game Industry Awards, recognizing achievements in Cypriot game development over the past year. Companies whose primary operations are conducted in Cyprus, even if they are based elsewhere, can be recognized.
There are six award categories:
- Mobile Games Achievement of the Year;
- PC & Console Achievement of the Year;
- Publisher of the Year;
- People & Workplace Award;
- Growth & Creative Partner of the Year;
- Games Commerce & Payments Partner of the Year.
At present, anyone can propose nominees for the Cyprus Game Industry Awards on the award’s website. The organizers of the WN Conference Cyprus’26 will announce a shortlist shortly before the conference starts, and winners will be announced at the end of the first day of the event.
On the evening of September 17, there will also be a networking party for premium ticket holders of the WN Conference Cyprus’26. The location is currently kept secret. The ceremony of the WN Conference Cyprus’26 awards will take place during the party, making it an especially joyous occasion for the winners.
Reminder: tickets for the WN Conference Cyprus’26 are currently available at a discount. Prices start at 399 euros for developers and publishers, and from 1199 euros for service providers. If you wish to participate, hurry up. Prices will increase later. There is also an option to add conference tickets to your wishlist using the WN Wishlist feature, which extends the discount for another week.
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The full program can be viewed on the WN Conference Cyprus’26 website.