devcom Leadership Summit to Return in 2026

Over 100 industry leaders from the gaming sector gathered in Lisbon at the end of February for the devcom Leadership Summit. The event was such a success that the organizers have already announced the date for 2026.

The summit, held from February 19 to 21, provided an environment that encouraged direct and open communication among senior industry executives. With keynote speeches from Shawn Layden (formerly of Sony Interactive Entertainment) and Shawn Foust (COO at Fortis),

With keynote speeches from Shawn Layden, formerly of Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Shawn Foust, COO at Fortis, and contributions from Jehanne Rousseau (former CEO at Spiders), Lisa Kretschmer (Studio Head at IO Interactive), Maciej Wlodarkiewicz (VP Central Production, Executive Producer at CD Projekt Rer, Maxime Josse (CEO & Co-Founder at Savage Level) and Shanti Bergel (Managing Director at Transcend Fund) -  the devcom Leadship Summit offered a varied programme. Six expert roundtables on topics such as Leadership & HR and Tech & Tools in Game Development rounded off the agenda.

The participants were also satisfied, as the organisers note in their final report, where they let them have their say: "The devcom Leadership Summit 2025 was the first event in a long time where I truly felt a personal sense of value, thanks to the engaging discussions and the inspiring people I had the privilege of meeting," says Lisa Kretschmer. And Emiel Sleegers, CEO ScansMatter adds: "The devcom Leadership Summit has been a breath of fresh air. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to engage in conversations with like-minded people, grow my network, and gain valuable knowledge. I highly recommend it, and from now on, you will be able to find me there every year!"

"Thoroughly enjoyable few days in Lisbon, which provided a forum to share insights and experiences with others facing the same challenges (and opportunities). I came away energized, and grateful for the opportunity to participate and listen, creating important reflections to take back to the studio," says Graham Chellew, Skyhook Games.

Although the organizers have a busy schedule ahead—with upcoming Leadership Dinners at GDC, gamescom latam, and gamescom asia, as well as the devcom Developer Conference (DDC) at gamescom—they are already planning the next Leadership Summit. The event will once again take place in Lisbon, from February 25 to 27, 2026.

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