The first New York Games Week will take place Oct. 4-11 with video game industry-themed events, showcases, conferences, tournaments, summits, professional mixers and meetups across the five boroughs of New York City.
From gaming industry vets Guy Blomberg (Games Industry Gathering), Krysti Pryde (PlayNYC), and Amit Hossain (IGDA NYC) and with support from NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the inaugural event is intended to kick off an annual citywide celebration of all things gaming and aims to “provide valuable business opportunities and entertainment for the global games sector to connect with the local industry and <a href="https://comicvibe.com/art-culture-and-community-at-butter-fine-art-fair/” title=”Art, culture and community at Butter Fine Art Fair”>community.”
Per event organizers, “As of today, the confirmed events include the East Coast’s largest pop culture convention with over 250,000 attendees, New York Comic Con, independent gaming exhibition Game-A-Palooza, the world’s first in-person Fashion in Gaming Awards, a collaboration between Women in Games and Game Devs of Color, and VGAmatuers will kick the week off with a 2-hr digital showcase streamed live on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok; the show spotlights developers, trailers, reveals, and short interviews.”
In addition to collaborations with New York Comic Con (which will run Oct. 8-11) and other partner events, New York Games Week will include 25 more activities and events throughout the city, with more to be announced at a later date.
According to the administration working under New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, supporting the inaugural New York Games Week event is part of MOME’s larger efforts to strengthen NYC’s position as a global hub for games and interactive media by building the talent pipeline, supporting developers and studios, growing esports and connecting the industry to publishers, investment and jobs.
Current key gaming-related initiatives overseen by MOME include the first NYC four-year public option in game design — City College of New York’s Bachelor’s Degree in Game Design, the NYC Video Game Festival, the “Made in NY” Developer Grant and Marketing Credit and the Digital Games Industry Council, alongside K–12, workforce, industry and promotional initiatives.
“The digital games industry in NYC is growing at an incredible rate, generating millions in economic activity and supporting thousands of jobs for New Yorkers,” Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment commissioner Rafael Espinal said. “We’re proud to support this inaugural celebration which will serve to shine an even bigger light on New York City to be a leading global hub for the industry in the years and decades to come.”
“New York City is home to a diverse and rapidly growing gaming community, with talent and creativity found in every borough,” said Daria Siegel, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) senior vice president of innovation industries. “New York Games Week is an opportunity to bring together creators, developers, students and industry leaders to celebrate the emerging talent shaping this industry and highlight why New York continues to be a destination for innovation.”
