Housemarque and Bithell Games have been added to the speaker lineup for Game Republic's New Horizons event, while Nintendo is set to host an open session for developers and publishers

Robbert Groenendijk and Mike Bithell — Image credit: Game Republic New Horizons

Initial announcement: The list of speakers at Game Republic New Horizons is expanding with the inclusion of Housemarque and Bithell Games. Additionally, there will be an open engagement with Nintendo officials aimed at game developers and publishers.

Robbert Groenendijk, head of VFX at Housemarque, is set to lead a presentation on visual effects related to the game Saros. Moreover, Mike Bithell, the video games director at Bithell Games, will discuss the studio's forthcoming game, Vampirium: 1997, alongside Patrick Garratt, the editor of Knowledge.

Nintendo's team focused on business development and developer relations will organize a breakfast session for developers and publishers on October 15, scheduled from 8:30 to 9:30 am.

This casual gathering is designed to provide insights on "collaborating with Nintendo, tool development, publishing prospects, support systems, and further topics."

Participation does not require prior registration as a Nintendo developer or publisher. However, a GR New Horizons ticket is necessary to join the session.

Set to take place from October 14 to 16 at Riverside Stadium in Middlesborough, the event will feature a keynote address by Ken Kutaragi, with a conversation with Rebecca Lautner, Chief Business Officer at Landfall Games, facilitated by Lewis Packwood, the features editor at GamesIndustry.biz, as well as a session on the game 007 First Light presented by Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive.

Additional events comprise the "Hype-free Assessment of AI in Games" panel featuring contributors Tommy Thompson (AI and Games), Duyguy Cakmak (Creative Assembly), and Matthias Siemonsmeier (Splash Damage).

Apart from these sessions, the Investor Zone features a discussion with Teddy Keefe from Tencent's business development sector, and a panel titled "Beyond the Pitch: Securing (and Surviving) Angel Investment," with insights from Nick Button-Brown (The Game Angels), Tracy McGarrigan (Ansible), and Ian Masters (Flick Games).

Other topics to be explored include presentations by public funders like the BFI, the Arts Council, and Innovate UK. Sessions will also focus on Xbox gaming platform integration, publisher and venture capital discussions, international market panels, and workshops on narrative crafting and Steam page creation.

Update: It has been reported to GamesIndustry.biz by Game Republic that the Nintendo breakfast event has reached full capacity.

GameIndustry.biz has partnered with GR New Horizons 2026 as a media collaborator.