UCA rescues
national games event
University for the Creative Arts (UCA) has come to the rescue of Game Dev Local’s (GDL) annual indie games expo, GDLX25, which was at risk of being cancelled after losing its host venue in East London.
20 March 2025
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Stuart De Ville, CEO of GDL, contacted UCA to ask if anything could be done to help, and Andy Bossom, UCA’s Industry Engagement Lead for the School of Games and Creative Technology, stepped in.
Andy said: “UCA prides itself on its can-do attitude – we are agile and were able to step in at the last minute, to become the host partner institution.
“It’s important for us to support the indie developer community, as many of UCA’s games graduates aspire to work on unique indie games after graduation. The last couple of years has been tough for the games industry, in terms of studio closures and the pausing of other key UK games events.”
GDLX25 is an indie games expo for indie game developers and enthusiasts. With more than 50 independent games companies and around 600 attendees, it will showcase the brightest talent in the industry. There will be industry talks, networking opportunities, and a careers stage led by experts on a wide range of topics, including game design, programming, art, and sound.
UCA can also announce, GAIN – Games and Innovation Nexus – will be the main sponsor of the event. GAIN is a partnership between UCA, the University of Surrey, and the University of Warwick supporting the wider gaming industry.
Stuart added: “The support from UCA has been nothing short of amazing. When we faced the unexpected challenge of losing our venue, it stepped up to ensure GDLX25 could still happen.
“Events like this are vital to the indie games industry, providing a space for developers to showcase their work, connect with industry professionals, and build a stronger community. Thanks to UCA, we can continue that mission and bring together some of the brightest talent in indie games this year.”
GDLX25 is taking place Saturday 12 April, 12-7pm at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey.
For more information, directions, and tickets visit www.uca.ac.uk/gdlx25.