The prestigious competition, which has toured universities for over 16 years, brings together industry leaders from renowned game studios behind some of the world's most successful titles. These experts evaluate student work across multiple disciplines including art and animation, narrative design, technology, game design, and collaborative teamwork.
Roger Bateman, director of the Sheffield Creative Industries Institute, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be hosting the Game Republic Student Showcase at Sheffield Hallam University this year. The UK is home to some of the most innovative and creative talent in game design and development, and this event is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate that.
“At Sheffield Hallam, we’re proud of our strong connections to the games industry, and we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of game creators through collaboration, creativity, and real-world engagement.”
Jamie Sefton, managing director of Game Republic, said: “It has been fantastic to see such a great response to the call for student projects. The teams will have a fantastic day meeting industry, showcasing their work and meeting other students on similar courses from across The North at Sheffield Hallam University.
“I expect to see a really high standard of work produced by the 180+ students attending including some great games and VR games too and a really special day for the students, course leaders and games company judges.”
In 2023, research showed that 90% of previous winners in the Game Republic Student Showcase had gone on to secure games jobs, with 81% staying in the region.
Final year teams will compete in seven categories: Game Art and Animation, Game Technology, Game Narrative Design, Game Level Design, Game Design, Game Audio and Best Team, which will be judged by leading games studios including Distinctive Games (Rugby League 24), Pitstop Productions (casting, voice and audio work for Baldur’s Gate 3), Red Kite Games (co-developer Hogwarts Legacy), Revolution Software (Broken Sword), Sumo Digital Sheffield (Sackboy – A Big Adventure) and Atomhawk (creative and technical outsourcer for Age of Empires IV, Helldivers 2, and more).
55 projects will be presented by teams from Sheffield Hallam University, University Campus Doncaster, Grimsby Institute, University of Huddersfield, University of Hull, University of Leeds, University Centre Leeds, Leeds City College, University of Greater Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Salford, University of Staffordshire, Wakefield College and York St John University.
Sheffield Hallam University student Anna Moore designed the games mascot for the event which has been used on websites, posters, social media and on the limited-edition T-shirts produced for the event.
The event will finish with networking and drinks with games companies, course leaders, student teams and previous winners.
The next day Sheffield Hallam University will host a Careers Conference, which will bring together researchers, developers, designers, educators, and industry professionals to contribute to an interdisciplinary symposium exploring the next frontiers of game design and development. This event will aim to foster critical discussions, showcase emerging research, and highlight innovative practices shaping the future of interactive experiences.
