From Azerbaijan to Malaysia: Good Game Club Meets the New Generation of Global Games Developers at the Xsolla Clubhouse at Gamescom 2026

LONDON, 30 September 2026 - Games developers from Azerbaijan, Colombia, Malaysia and beyond take center stage in two special episodes of the Good Game Club podcast, recorded at the Xsolla Clubhouse during Gamescom 2026 in Cologne. Released on 24th and 25th September, the episodes explore two different routes for bringing new talent into the global games industry. 

The first episode spotlights the Xsolla Incubation Program, supporting aspiring Azerbaijani developers as they turn early concepts into commercially viable games. The second meets developers brought to Gamescom through the Xsolla Developer Scholarship Program, designed to give promising studios and creators access to international industry networks and opportunities that might otherwise be beyond their reach.

The Xsolla Incubation Program works with Azerbaijani teams through mentorship, industry expertise, and practical support designed to prepare them for the global games market. Supported by the Azerbaijan Innovation & Digital Development Agency, the initiative is part of wider efforts to strengthen the country's games ecosystem. 

Manny Hachey, Senior Director of Developer Success at Xsolla, explains that the longer-term ambition is to help developers create sustainable businesses and intellectual property rooted in Azerbaijan but capable of global export.  The episode introduces three studios and their projects through conversations with Good Game Club co-hosts Jude Ower and Mathias Gredal Nørvig:

• Ibrahim Qurbanov, Co-Founder of BloodBuzz Studio - ‘Swarm’ - a stealth-action game in which players take on the roles of mutated mosquitoes.

• Niyazi Khidirov and Turzan Dunyamaliyev, Co-Founders of Massive Dreamers Studio - ‘Enjoy Your Stay’ - a hotel simulation game.

• Zeqam Huseynli, Founder, and Isgandar Panahov, Founder and Creative Director of VIA Studio - ‘Dead Ducks Don't Bluff’ - a tabletop game.

In the second episode, Justin Berenbaum, SVP Global Industry Relations & Funding at Xsolla, introduces the Xsolla Developer Scholarship Program. He explains that some of the video game industry's most important opportunities happen at major international events, yet many talented developers cannot afford to be there. For Gamescom, Xsolla brought 20 studios representing 13 countries to Cologne, selected from more than 200 submissions.

“Great games can come from anywhere,” says Berenbaum. The program gives developers access to Gamescom, along with practical preparation for pitching, networking, and conducting industry meetings. Its aim extends beyond securing an immediate publishing or investment deal: it is about building relationships, broadening developers' international horizons and giving talented creators a better chance of building sustainable businesses in games.

Jude Ower describes the developers as “the future of the industry, the changemakers and the rising stars.” In conversations with Ower and Mathias Gredal Nørvig, nine scholarship recipients discuss games ranging from mathematical card play and three-dimensional chess to underwater alien combat and birdwatching, while revealing how experiences and cultures from their home countries are shaping games for global audiences.  The developers and games featured are:

• Jorge Martinez (Colombia) - ‘Alumbra’ - a game about a child trapped in a nightmare, where light represents his courage as he learns to confront and overcome his fears.

• Manus Burke (Ireland) - ‘Sub-Species’ - an underwater action-adventure in which players pilot a submarine and salvage resources to survive while fighting alien monsters.

• Adriana Echeverria (Costa Rica) - ‘The Birdsong Tree’ - a nature-inspired game that asks players to slow down, observe the behavior of birds, and start noticing the wildlife and world around them.

• Bryann Orion (Malaysia) - ‘Froggy Brews’ - a cosy game about a frog returning to a neighborhood that has changed and reconnecting with people through a tea-loving community.

• Adam Zeria (Israel) - ‘Tattered Banners’ - a strategy RPG set in a simulated fantasy world where cities rise and fall, noble houses go to war, and bandits raid merchants for resources.

• Guilherme Garna (Portugal) - ‘Beyond the Board’ - a story-driven discovery game of exploration and hidden pathways set inside a three-dimensional chess game.

• Max Petroff (Canada) - ‘Croak’ - a two-dimensional, hand-drawn platform game in which players take control of Prince Frog, using his tongue as a grappling hook to navigate its world.

• Spencer Beckford (United Kingdom) - ‘Rhythm Towers’ - a music strategy game combining rhythm action with tower defense mechanics, allowing players to build their defenses while building the game’s soundtrack.

• Martin LotheSaeterdal (Norway) - ‘Talystro’ - a roguelike card game designed to spread the joy of maths by turning mathematical principles into creative game mechanics and changing how players experience learning.

Together, the two episodes explore a central challenge facing the global games industry: how promising developers move from having a strong idea to building a sustainable games business - and how geography, funding, and access to international networks can shape their chances of success.

Good Game Club is supported by the Dubai Films & Games Commission, Tencent and Xsolla, working together to shape a more positive future through the power of games.

The Xsolla Incubation episode is released on 30 September, followed by the Xsolla Scholarship episode on 1 October; both can be watched here.  For more information, please visit Linktree or contact comms@goodgame.club.