The WN Istanbul'26 program has been announced. Among the participants are Rovio, Epic Games Store, Rollic Games, PlaySide Studios, and many others

In two weeks, on June 18 and 19, a business event for game developers and publishers, WN Istanbul’26, will take place in Turkey. Here’s what’s on the event’s agenda.

This year, the event will feature an abundance of networking opportunities. Traditional lectures will be replaced by roundtable discussions and group work so that participants of WN Istanbul’26 can delve deeper into the topics of interest to them.

First Day

The motto of the debut day of WN Istanbul’26 will be Explore & Connect. During this time, attendees will get to know each other, discover new projects, and learn about current market trends.

The day will kick off with an investor breakfast hosted by GameXCap. The syndicate’s founder and WN Media Group’s Pavel Ryökkönen will discuss the current state of game investments. No ticket to WN Istanbul’26 is required to attend the investor breakfast, but seating is limited to 15 people.

Participants will then have the opportunity to engage in themed activities. Noteworthy ones include:

• A panel discussion on “Scaling Mobile Games in 2026: Creative, Brand and Community as Growth Engines”. The panel will be moderated by ByteBrew’s Strategy Director Chris Lefebvre, with Rovio Entertainment’s Marketing Director Işıl Eralp and Rollic Games’ VP of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Jane Anderson participating;
• A roundtable titled “From Copilot to Co-Creator: Generative AI in Modern Game Production” led by Bora Özkut, a solution architect in generative AI at ByteDance;
• A workshop, “Stylised AA/Indie vs. Big Franchises”. PlaySide Studios’ VP of Business Development, Ozgur Ozalp, will share lessons learned from working on the black-and-white cartoon shooter MOUSE: P.I. For Hire.

Simultaneously, there will be an all-day showcase of games from independent teams. In the afternoon, an indie pitch will take place — a presentation where developers will showcase their games to industry experts. Applications for the showcase and indie pitch are being accepted until June 11.

Additionally, there will be an expo area with sponsor booths. Among them are Xsolla, ByteDance, Yandex Advertising Network, Yandex Games, Malpa Games, ReklamUp, RoasUp, Brightika, Verve Group, Appier, and others.

The event will also include a Happy Hour, a raffle with prizes for participants, and a ceremony to honor the indie pitch winners. This year, a new special category, WN Ambassador, will be introduced.

The day will conclude with a networking dinner by the pool. Guests of WN Istanbul’26 will be able to relax, unwind, and continue their conversations in an informal setting. The networking dinner is sponsored by Green Code.

Second Day

June 19 will be more intimate, under the motto Focus & Exchange. This day will feature in-depth discussions in smaller groups.

Key sessions include:

• A roundtable on “Smart Money in Games: VCs, Publishers and Strategic Investors in 2026”, featuring Emre Kesti from Firstpoint VC;
• A roundtable on “Leveraging Desire: Engagement, Predictable Spending, and Compliance in Adult Game Design”, led by Nutaku’s Senior Business Development Specialist Andrey Postnikov;
• A roundtable on “Türkiye as Growth Engine: How Global and Turkish Studios De‑Risk Expansion”. Details about moderators are yet to be announced.

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WN Istanbul’26 is a milestone event in Turkey organized by the WN Media Group, marking a decade of business events in the country. You can learn more about its program and other details here.

Want a 10% discount on WN Istanbul’26? Then carefully review the program on the event’s website: special letters forming a promo code are hidden in the text. However, only the first 10 lucky participants will be able to use it.