XP Game Summit shows why Canada may not need its own giant GDC

Canada’s XP Game Summit is becoming a stronger example of what modern video game industry events can look like: smaller, more focused, and built around practical connections rather than massive crowds. The 2026 Toronto event marked the summit’s fifth year and brought together more than 700 attendees, showing that Canada’s game industry has enough scale and demand to support serious business to business events of its own.

XP Gaming founder Jason Lepine says the mission is simple: connect the video game industry. That goal started from a personal place. He wanted a meaningful industry event in his own backyard instead of always having to travel across the continent for major conferences.

That idea now feels especially timely. GDC remains one of the biggest names in the global game industry, but large conferences are expensive, crowded, and often difficult for smaller studios to attend. GDC also saw a reported 30 percent drop in attendance this year, while more Canadian developers are thinking carefully about the cost and practicality of travelling to the United States.

Smaller industry events may be more useful than massive shows

Lepine does not seem interested in simply building a Canadian version of GDC. Instead, XP Gaming is leaning into smaller and mid sized events across Canada, including Toronto, Halifax, Montreal, and Vancouver. That gives more developers, publishers, service providers, and investors a chance to meet without making one expensive event the only option.

That model fits the current state of the games industry. Many studios are dealing with layoffs, tighter budgets, and a harder funding environment. A huge conference can still be valuable, but smaller events may offer better chances for focused meetings, clearer networking, and real business conversations.

The Toronto summit also showed the strength of Canada’s indie scene. The show floor included recognizable games such as Echo Generation 2 from Cococucumber and Blighted from Drinkbox Studios, along with smaller projects like Marco Polo and Retroronto. Many developers were still looking for publishing partners, which shows why events like this matter. They give studios a place to be seen.

The event also included companies beyond game studios. One standout was ELO, which is working on Sentinel XR glasses. That kind of presence shows how gaming events are no longer only about games themselves. Hardware, tools, services, funding, and emerging technology are all part of the same ecosystem.

Lepine’s wider point is that the industry is changing. The old model of giant teams, huge budgets, and seven to ten year timelines is becoming harder to sustain. Smaller studios and leaner projects may become more important as the industry adjusts to new financial realities.

That does not mean large shows will disappear. GDC and Gamescom still have a place. But XP Game Summit shows that the future may not belong only to the biggest events. Developers may need more regional, affordable, and focused gatherings where real connections are easier to make.

For Canada, that could be a major advantage. The country already has a strong games industry across several cities. If XP Gaming continues to grow without losing its focused format, it could become one of the most useful industry networks in North America.

The fifth year of XP Game Summit suggests the model is working. It is not trying to replace GDC by becoming just as large. It is trying to solve a different problem: helping people in the games industry meet, collaborate, and build something sustainable closer to home.