In a joint effort, Lightspeed, GamesBeat, and Nasdaq have unveiled the return of the highly anticipated Game Changers program for its second consecutive year. This initiative aims to recognize and propel 25 exceptional startups in the gaming and interactive media sectors.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about Lightspeed, GamesBeat, and Nasdaq's second edition of Game Changers, a program celebrating 25 startups in gaming and interactive media. Learn more about the categories, timeline, and judges for this year’s nomination process.

GamesBeat Summit 2024

Details about this year's program, including categories, timeline, and the esteemed panel of judges, will be disclosed during the GamesBeat Summit 2024 at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Los Angeles. Submissions for this year's list will commence in June.

Scheduled for May 20th, the panel titled "Lightspeed x GamesBeat Game Changers — Innovations in gaming & interactive media" will feature prominent figures such as Moritz Baier-Lentz from Lightspeed, Sophia Xing from Inworld AI, Chris Bell of Gardens Interactive, Jani Penttinen of Bitmagic, and GamesBeat lead writer Dean Takahashi.

Gaming and Interactive Media

In a recent press release, Lightspeed expressed excitement about partnering with GamesBeat and Nasdaq for the second iteration of Game Changers. The collaboration promises to shed light on the most promising startups in the gaming and interactive media sectors.

The program's framework will be unveiled alongside a panel discussion showcasing pioneering innovations in gaming and interactive media. The discussion will feature perspectives from previous winners and judges, including executives and operators from leading companies like Activision Blizzard, Amazon, DeepMind, Disney, Microsoft, Niantic, Riot Games, and more.

Nasdaq NYC Billboard

Last Years Winners

In its inaugural year, Game Changers recognized groundbreaking startups such as Beamable, Dreamhaven, Gardens, and StatusPro. The judges voted on each candidate, and their collective scores determined the winners:

• Best Game Studio: Gardens
• Best Gaming Platform: Astrocade
• Best Extended Reality: StatusPro
• Best Blockchain and Web3 Technology: Horizon

Main Web3 Gaming Takeaways

Last year's event overall was a testament to the growing enthusiasm for web3 gaming. As Bonnie Rossen of the Disney Accelerator noted, the gaming industry is embracing web3, recognizing its potential benefits for both games and gamers. The spotlight shone on companies like GGWP, and Sequence / Horizon, with the latter even making its mark on the NASDAQ board in Times Square.

Horizon won “Best Blockchain and Web3 Technology” with Sam Barberie accepting the award on behalf of his team. Horizon is both a maker of games and a builder of foundational web3 infrastructure.

Creator of Skyweaver, one of the first free-to-play blockchain trading card games, the company also built Sequence, an all-in-one development platform that makes it easy to build web3 games, wallets, marketplaces, and much more within the Ethereum blockchain.

Sequence / Horizon

What to Expect This Year?

With Lightspeed's continued sponsorship, this year's edition aims to spotlight startups across five key categories: game studios, gaming platforms, interactive technology, extended reality, and blockchain and web3.

• Game studios
• Gaming platforms (e.g., UGC & social)
• Interactive technology (incl. AI & 3D)
• Extended reality (AR/VR/MR)
• Blockchain & web3

Entrants must have been in operation for no more than five years and employ fewer than 50 full-time staff. Additionally, emphasis will be placed on principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

Final Thoughts

Following a rigorous selection process involving Lightspeed investors and GamesBeat editors, a curated list of 100 nominees was presented to a panel of judges comprising C-level gaming executives and operators with extensive leadership experience across various industry giants.

The panel's expertise spans a wide spectrum, including companies like Amazon, Disney, Meta, Tencent, Unity, and Zynga, among others. With anticipation building for the unveiling of this year's cohort, the gaming community eagerly awaits the announcement of the next wave of Game Changers set to make waves in the industry.