April 23rd, 2026

Kick off Worldbuilder Summit with a brief welcome that sets the stage for a day of creativity, collaboration, and the future of building immersive worlds.

Story Kitchen has become one of the most influential players in translating game IP into film and television, helping turn interactive worlds into global entertainment franchises. In this session, we explore how that process actually works, from identifying breakout titles to structuring deals that unlock long-term value across platforms.

With a focus on emerging hits like Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot, we’ll break down what makes a game adaptable for Hollywood, how creators and developers can position their IP for adaptation, and what buyers are really looking for right now. The conversation will also dive into deal architecture, creative alignment, and the balance between staying true to a game’s community while expanding it for mass audiences.

Whether you’re building a game, a brand, or a universe, this session offers a practical look at how to turn digital worlds into cinematic ones.

DoBig Studios had a standout year in 2025, emerging as a key player in developing and scaling creator-driven IP across digital platforms. In this session, Justin Peress (DoBig Studios) and Angela Dalton (Signum Capital, AD8 Pop) unpack what actually drove that momentum, alongside the investment perspective shaping the next wave of breakout companies and creators.

The conversation will explore how DoBig identifies and develops winning concepts, builds repeatable formats, and turns momentum into sustained growth. Angela will share what she’s seeing from the investment side, including where capital is flowing in games and creator ecosystems, what signals matter most, and how founders and creators can position themselves to scale.

Together, they’ll offer a practical look at how IP is being built, backed, and grown right now, and what it takes to turn early traction into long-term success.

Gaming is no longer just about playing, it’s about participating in thriving digital economies. From in-game purchases and cosmetic skins to player-driven marketplaces where items, characters, and even entire experiences are bought and sold, games are rapidly evolving into commerce platforms.

This session explores how the marketplace has become a core layer of modern gaming. We’ll look at the rise of microtransactions, the explosion of user-generated economies in platforms and the growing opportunities for creators and players to earn real income through games.

We’ll also examine what’s coming next: player ownership, creator monetization, and the potential role of blockchain and crypto technologies in powering the next generation of in-game economies.

Whether you’re a developer, creator, or curious about the future of digital ownership, this conversation will unpack how games are becoming the marketplaces of the internet.

Breakout games today are driven by community as much as gameplay. From early adopters to highly engaged player networks, communities help shape what gains traction and how games evolve over time.

This session explores how community momentum translates into growth, and how developers can design for participation, retention, and social spread. It also looks at the role of in-game discovery systems, from trending charts to recommendation engines on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, and how these algorithms determine what gets surfaced.

We’ll unpack how community engagement and platform systems work together to drive visibility, and what it takes to break through.

Join FIFA and Gamefam for a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s most iconic sports brands is showing up inside Roblox with scale and impact. Together, they’ll break down how the partnership came to life, from translating global football fandom into interactive experiences to engaging a new generation of players where they already spend their time. Expect an honest conversation on what’s working, what isn’t, and what brands and creators can learn about building relevance, community, and long-term fandom inside social gaming platforms like Roblox.

Join Grand Theft Hamlet creators Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane for a conversation about staging Shakespeare inside GTA Online and turning a chaotic game world into a surprising space for performance. They’ll share what they learned working with unpredictable players and in-game characters, and how the project reshaped their approach to storytelling. Looking ahead, they’ll discuss their future plans, including their NPC project and new experiments that blend gaming, theatre, and interactive narrative.

A live recording of Brands in Play, featuring a candid conversation on the intersection of gaming, creators, and brands, and how partnerships are evolving in real time.

A dynamic conversation between Epic Games’ Josh Grant and YouTube powerhouse Andre “Typical Gamer” Rebelo, this spotlight dives into the evolving world of game creation, content, and community. From building inside Fortnite’s ecosystem to shaping the future of player-driven entertainment, Josh and Andre explore what it means to create at scale in today’s gaming landscape. Expect candid insights on the intersection of developers and creators, the business of being a modern gamer, and how platforms like Fortnite are blurring the lines between playing, building, and storytelling.

The next generation of entertainment isn’t coming from traditional studios. It’s being built in real time by creators shaping worlds, systems, and stories from the ground up.

This session spotlights the people doing that work. The modders, developers, and creators building new IP inside and around platforms. They’re designing economies, crafting narratives, and redefining what game development looks like when it’s open, collaborative, and constantly evolving.

We’ll explore how these WorldBuilders think about creation, ownership, and community. What tools and platforms are enabling them, where the opportunities are growing, and what challenges still stand in the way.

If you want to understand where games, IP, and interactive storytelling are heading next, start with the people already building it.

As the creator economy matures, understanding how to protect, package, and grow your intellectual property is no longer optional. It is essential.

This panel brings together experienced dealmakers, legal experts, and operators to unpack the realities behind IP protection, brand partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. From structuring brand deals that preserve long-term value to navigating term sheets and negotiating exits, we will explore what it actually takes to turn creative work into durable, scalable businesses.

Whether you are building a brand, a world, or a studio, this conversation will offer practical insights on protecting what you create, making smarter deals, and positioning yourself for meaningful opportunities at every stage of growth.

What’s next for user-generated content? Instead of guessing from the sidelines, this session brings the people shaping it into the same room.

This is a participatory workshop designed to tap into the collective insight of creators, platforms, brands, and builders. Together, we’ll explore emerging trends, tensions, and opportunities across the UGC landscape, from formats and monetization to community, identity, and AI.

Expect guided prompts, open discussion, and real-time synthesis. This is not a panel. It’s a working session where every voice contributes to a shared view of where things are heading.

Following the session, we’ll compile and share a “What We Heard” report capturing the key themes, predictions, and open questions that emerged in the room.

Come ready to think, challenge, and help map the future of UGC.

Bringing brands into immersive worlds is a huge opportunity, but done wrong, it can instantly break the player experience. This session explores how to integrate brands in ways that feel native, additive, and even enhance gameplay rather than interrupt it.

We will dive into best practices for embedding brands into environments, mechanics, and narratives so they become part of the world, not an intrusion. From subtle environmental storytelling to interactive branded experiences, learn how top creators are designing integrations that players choose to engage with.

The session will also cover common pitfalls, including over-branding, forced placements, and anything that pulls players out of the moment. If you are working with brands or planning to, this is your guide to doing it in a way that respects players, strengthens immersion, and delivers real value for everyone involved.

Join Duncan Campbell (Roblox) and Andrew Bereza (Twin Atlas) for a deep dive into what it takes to build standout games and lasting studios on Roblox today. This session will explore the rise of novel, genre-defining experiences and how developers can break through in an increasingly competitive ecosystem.

Duncan will share insights into Roblox’s latest creator initiatives, including the newly launched Jumpstart and Incubator programs, designed to support the next generation of high-potential developers with funding, mentorship, and growth infrastructure. Andrew will bring a studio perspective, unpacking how Twin Atlas has built and sustained success with hit titles like Creatures of Sonaria, and what it really takes to evolve a game into a long-term franchise.

Together, they will discuss practical strategies for innovation, retention, and scaling on platform, offering a candid look at how creators can move from promising prototypes to enduring, revenue-generating worlds.

In this fireside chat, Kendra Johnson (Global Head of Gaming Publishers, YouTube) and Katelynn Heil (Head of Franchise, Voldex) explore how user-generated content has transformed games into living, creator-driven ecosystems.

Together, they’ll break down the UGC gaming flywheel, how developers build worlds that attract creators, how those creators generate content and audiences across platforms, and how that momentum feeds back into discovery, retention, and revenue.

The conversation will examine how leading studios are extending their IP beyond a single platform, collaborating across ecosystems like Roblox, Fortnite, and social and video platforms to reach new audiences and deepen engagement. From in-game experiences to short-form video, streaming, and community-driven storytelling, creators are at the center of how modern game worlds grow and evolve.

Kendra and Katelynn will share insights on the strategies, partnerships, and platform dynamics that enable IP to travel, scale, and thrive in a multi-platform landscape, and what it takes to design worlds built for expansion from day one.