IRL Real Life Events from the industry


GaMaYo November 13 - Wakefield


https://gamerepublic.net/


Over 500 industry guests attended the biggest ever GaMaYo business networking event on November 13, 2025 at the WX venue in Wakefield. GaMaYo is a twice-yearly B2B social event for northern developers, with a VIP reception for Game Republic members, short informal roundtables with publishers, platform-holders and investors (this time including Yogscast Games, Eaton Smith Solicitors, Xsolla, Epic Games, Devolver Digital, Parker Consulting, GameMaker and Plus Accounting) and a staggering 68 playable demos — including 10 from Scottish developers from a partnership with the SGDA.


GaMaYo was also the host for the Game Republic Awards 2025, judged by journalist and writer Keith Stuart, which saw winners including Dink for Best Small Studio, Tanglewood Games for Best Mid-Sized Studio, d3t for Best Large Studio, and Natash Vincent from EA Playdemic for Studio Hero, as well as a Community Manager Award for Pedro Silva at Double Eleven, Rob Charlish at Wakefield College for Most Inspiring Course Leader, an Inclusivity Award presented to Safe in Our World, an Innovative Technology Award for Reflex Arc, and an award for the Best Game-Related Research for Francesca Foffano. It also saw the inaugural Martyn Brown Rising Star Award (in honour of Team17’s co-founder, with son Harry Brown presenting) go to Sarah York from Panda Cat Games.


There were also awards for Darren Falcus, who got Games Legend, and Ian Stewart, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Empyreal by Silent Games also won Best Indie Game Made in the North, which was decided by a public vote.


GaMaYo returns again to Leeds this year on May 21, 2026.


10 | MCV/DEVELOP December/January 2026


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