NAGIS 2026: A Strong First Year for Edmonton's Video Game Industry

NAGIS wrapped its inaugural year in Edmonton this June. See the numbers behind a strong first year, from attendance and meetings to studio showcases and what comes next.

The North American Games Industry Summit (NAGIS), powered by Xsolla, wrapped its inaugural year in Edmonton this June, running alongside Game Con Canada. Edmonton Screen supported the event as a main sponsor and is in a three-year partnership with NAGIS, and the numbers from its first year point to something worth building on.

"What I'm hearing from partners and publishers is that NAGIS filled a gap in North America: a business-first summit where conversations are curated and time is respected," says Chris Meilleur, co-founder of Game Con Canada and NAGIS.

By the Numbers

NAGIS 2026 brought together 386 industry attendees from 225 companies across 12 countries. Through MeetToMatch, the same B2B matchmaking platform that powers Gamescom, the event facilitated 488 meetings between studios, publishers, and investors.

On the showcase side, 55 independent video game studios were featured through sponsored turnkey booth spaces, with more than 80 video game titles included in an accompanying Steam showcase that generated over 2.6 million impressions.

"Walking through the MeetToMatch Lounge and seeing hundreds of meaningful business meetings taking place proved there is a real need for an event like this in Canada," says Marc Belisle, co-founder of Game Con Canada and NAGIS.

"What truly made NAGIS unique was our crossover day with Game Con Canada. Watching executives step onto the GCC show floor and experience the passion of Canada's gaming community firsthand brought together the business and consumer sides of our industry in a way I've never seen before."

When surveyed, 85% of attendees said they were very or extremely likely to recommend NAGIS to others, a strong signal for a first-year event.

What's Next

NAGIS returns to Edmonton in 2027 as part of a five-year commitment from Explore Edmonton to host the summit in the city, giving studios a fixed, recurring touchpoint to build toward year over year.

Congratulations to the entire NAGIS team on a strong first year, and to the sponsors and partners who helped make it possible: Xsolla, Meibel Consulting, MeetToMatch, Insert Coin, Explore Edmonton, Edmonton's Best Hotels.com, Corvian Marketing, Calgary Economic Development, Digital Alberta, Prismiq Technologies, LEXRA, Executive Driving, LocusX.ai, ASUS ROG, SASK Interactive, and the Alberta Ministry of Technology and Innovation.

Read the full NAGIS 2026 Event Report.