Star Wars, AI Reality Checks, Talent Training & Indie Wins (ft. CGDA, NAIT & Lucid Rain Studios)

Party Chat
Written By Cory Sellar

Episode Description

In our latest Good Game Edmonton x Digital Alberta quarterly update (a.k.a PartyChat), we sat down with Rowan Sommerfeld (Calgary Game Development Association), Mike McCready (NAIT), and Rosche Rheeder (Lucid Rain Studios) to unpack a quarter that showed a province ready to capture global market share.

Q4 2025 offered significant updates on the state of the Alberta games industry. Highlights included a major Lucasfilm partnership and a showcase of Alberta's talent pipeline, where seasoned professionals and student developers participated in the Alberta Games Series pitch competition.

Also, we’re happy to see that Alberta Makes Games (AMG) came back online with new updates, thanks to its original creator, Craig Pfau, including a 2025 Year in Review.

1. The Heavy Hitter: Arcanaut Studios x Star Wars

When Arcanaut Studios was announced at The Game Awards with BioWare legend Casey Hudson at the helm, the industry watched. When it was announced that they were teaming up with Lucasfilm Games for a spiritual successor to Knights of the Old Republic, the world took notice. This isn't just a win for Edmonton; it’s a Tier-1 validation of our local talent pool. Not to mention that as of right now going into 2026, the studio is hiring various positions for its first project. 

2. The AGS Pitch Standouts

We recapped the Alberta Game Series (AGS) including the pitch competition to cap off day two of the 2-day conference. During the pitch showcase, attendees saw five studios step up to the mic: ThirtyThree Games, Ode Software, RaVeN Madd Studios, Eat the Sun; Shoot the Moon, and WaanSoft.

The takeaway? Passion gets you on stage, but humility and the ability to take in judge feedback are what helps you become a more well-rounded studio founder. These sessions proved that Alberta's developers are building the thick skin required for the global stage—especially for winners ThirtyThree Games (Rebounder) and runner-up Ode Software (Highway Hijinks), who both secured invitations to represent the province at the Game Invest West summit in Banff.

3. Accelerators 

We’re seeing a two-tier support system take shape. Indie Ignition is providing early-stage developers with the foundational tools to organize their studios, while the Calgary Games Kiln has officially launched its first cohort (including Grizzly Moose Games and Nice Axe Games) to focus on market-validated, investor-ready IP. Bridging the gap for mid-stage studios, the Xsolla x Scaffold Accelerator focuses on scaling operations and preparing developers for global publishing and serious investment.

4. AI: Moving Beyond the Hype

Moving beyond the panic over "AI taking our jobs," we focused on discussing Human-in-the-Loop workflows. While it may feel like a rant at times, it’s safe to say that the conversation on AI & Games doesn’t end here. The episode also touched upon the new CRTC standards.

5. Global Esports Rankings

In the world of competitive esports, Calgary’s own placed 7th at the Nounsvitational Tokyo 2025. Representing Alberta on a global stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Miles continues to prove that our province’s talent is world-class.

Representing Alberta on the world stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Calgary’s Miles "Soonsay" Foster continues to prove our provincial talent is world-class. This quarter, Miles secured a 7th-place finish at the Nounsvitational Tokyo 2025 and traveled to Ireland for the Teaghlach tournament, where he achieved a dominant 1st-place finish in Melee Singles.

6. Training the Mid-to-Senior Pipeline

Mike McCready walked us through NAIT’s new Game Development program and its two streams: Programming and Animation/Design. 

7. Scholars

Academic excellence met entrepreneurial spirit as Braden Baumann was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Scholarship at UCalgary. With a background in selling games to CoolMathGames before even hitting university, Braden represents the high-caliber student talent entering our ecosystem.

8. The Indie Win: Lucid Rain Studios

Rosche Rheeder brought exciting news: Lucid Rain Studios is now operating full-time. The studio, recently highlighted by IGN for their title INFERIUS (including an official trailer for Indie Fan Fest Fall 2025), exemplifies the successful formula. This achievement stems from three founders and a unified vision.

9. Year-End Celebrations: Community in Focus

The quarter closed with a strong emphasis on community and connection, proving that Alberta's IDM scene is as socially tight-knit as it is professionally capable:

The year ended with a massive gathering of film, television, and interactive media professionals hosted by Edmonton Screen at EPIC Market. It was a clear indicator of the cross-pollination happening between traditional screen industries and the growing games sector.

Creator Canteen’s Edmonton-based meetups continued to be the heartbeat of the local scene, providing a space for creators of all disciplines to share progress and swap war stories. The year-end creative Christmas sweater party was a fun night of mingling, mixed with Jam Bingo, a live DJ, and plenty of holiday cheer to go around!

What’s Next for 2026?

The roadmap is promising:

  • MacEwan Ventures Program – Edmonton (January-March, April-June)

  • Global Game Jam – Province-Wide (January)

  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Showcase by Edmonton Collegiate Esports Collective – Edmonton (March/April)

  • Upper Bound – Edmonton (May)

  • Game Con Canada – Edmonton (June)

  • Alberta Games Series – Calgary (October)

  • What else are we missing?

Plus, a new look for Good Game Edmonton will be revealed later this year. We’re also awaiting the recipients list of the 2026 intake of STORYHIVE’s Video Podcast program.

Featured Games This Quarter:

Cory Sellar
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From Juilliard to Games: Finding the Soul in Narrative Design (feat. Leif Oleson-Cormack)