On 14 September, 350 people gathered at Bratislava’s Divadlo Aréna for the first edition of PixelCon, a free game development conference organised by Pixel Federation.
The event brought together local developers, indie creators, industry professionals and 80 students with international speakers from Rovio, Supercell, Wooga and Electronic Arts.
The aim was simple: to create a space where the local game development community could meet experienced professionals from the global industry and hear practical insights into how games are actually made.
Connecting the local and international game scene
The international speaker lineup was one of the highlights of the programme. Jeremy Widdowson, Florian Blaesche, Maya Hofree and Stanislav Stankovič brought different perspectives on growth, player experience, game development and design.
Their talks focused on real game development stories, practical lessons and behind-the-scenes insights, rather than theory alone. Stanislav’s particularly practical approach and Maya’s experience from Supercell’s Hay Day resonated strongly with the audience. The Founders Panel also offered an honest look at the journeys and lessons behind building game studios.
For many attendees, the opportunity to meet people from studios such as Supercell, Rovio, EA and Wooga in Bratislava was a highlight in itself. The conference also demonstrated the growing interest in creating stronger connections between Slovakia’s game development community and the wider international industry.
Sharing experience with the next generation
The Student Hub gave students a dedicated space to showcase their games and receive feedback from more experienced developers — from advice on their projects to questions about entering the industry.
The exchange worked both ways. Seeing the enthusiasm of the next generation reminded many experienced developers why they started making games in the first place: the love of games, the excitement of creating something new, and the long nights spent working on their projects.
Walk the Bridges
PixelCon also included Walk the Bridges, a charity quest supporting children’s sport in Bratislava. Despite the weather, participants raised €3,500, which Pixel Federation rounded up to €5,000.
As a pilot edition, PixelCon was also a learning experience for us. We are already looking at what we can improve and how to make the next edition even more valuable for the community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. See you at PixelCon 2027. 🩵
