guildford.games Festival welcomes 4,500+ fans and aspiring devs

More than 4,500 game developers and gamers alike gathered at G Live in Guildford earlier this month for the annual guildford.games Festival.

Peter Molyneux OBE, founder of Bullfrog Productions and one of the key figures in developing the town’s now thriving games industry, kicked off proceedings.

“Guildford has been a cornerstone of game development for decades,” he said.

“It’s wonderful to see that legacy continuing with such passion and innovation.

“The festival truly highlights why this town remains such a special place for the industry, and it’s always a joy to be surrounded by so much creativity.”

Speakers at this year’s festival included representatives from Supermassive Games, Two Point Studios and 22 Cans, inspiring people of all ages to develop careers in the industry and learn what goes in to game development.

There were over 36 exhibitors, including EA, record label BMG and Amazon-partnered Glowmade.

New for 2025 was a developer summit aimed at studio founders and leaders and run in parallel to the festival.

The event, which took place at the nearby Harbour Hotel, provided deep dives into game development, studio growth and industry trends, with topics ranging from funding and pitches to business strategy and soft skills development.

Nick Hurley is a partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, one of the original founders of guildford.games, and moderated a panel on investment readiness at the developer summit.

“The summit was a fantastic new addition to this year’s event, designed to empower studio founders and leaders with the essential knowledge and skills they need to succeed,” he said.

“Both the festival and summit shone a spotlight on the exceptional talent we have in Guildford and their incredible contribution to a global industry.

“It’s so important to celebrate the achievements of Guildford devs and studios and attract more talent to this thriving community.”

Lauran Carter, comms director at Liquid Crimson and founding member of guildford.games, added: “This year’s festival was an absolute powerhouse.

“Both venues were rammed, the energy was electric and Guildford showed once again why it’s a beating heart of game development.

“Having Peter Molyneux deliver the keynote was a landmark moment – our biggest name yet – but what really made it special was the calibre of talent across the entire event.

“The dev summit was packed, the panels sparked some incredible conversations and the networking was buzzing with opportunity.

“Whether they were fresh-faced students or industry legends, everyone walked away inspired.

“We’re humbled by the backing and support of the industry, whether in Guildford or beyond.”