New York City Hits Start on the 2nd Annual NYC Video Game Festival

Presented by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment at  Convene Brookfield Place on Saturday, May 9, 2026

Showcasing New York City’s growing game development community while inspiring the next generation of creators through play, competition, and hands-on experiences

Features Minecraft Education, League of Legends & Valorant Esports Competitions, Arcades, Cosplay Fun, Indie Games, VR Experiences, and More – Including two Drone Soccer Arenas in Honor of the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ

REGISTER FOR $10 TICKETS AND DISCOVER MORE AT nycvideogamefestival.com

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NEW YORK - April 16, 2026 - The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment announced today that the City of New York will host the second annual NYC Video Game Festival (NYCVGF) — a day-long celebration of creativity, technology, and education featuring game design, esports, tech, and a digital media career pathway expo for students, parents, educators, industry professionals, policy makers and all New Yorkers with a passion for gaming to enjoy. The NYCVGF takes place Saturday, May 9, 9:00am - 6:00pm at Convene Brookfield Place with registration at nycvideogamefestival.com. 

New York City is home to more than 380 game companies and over 7,900 indie game developers, making it the largest game development hub on the East Coast. To support this industry, the City of NY has committed to building an education and workforce pipeline that is preparing New Yorkers for careers in coding, video game design and city planning, while simultaneously supporting up-and-coming indie developers that are producing “Made in NY” games (those produced 75% or more in NYC). To further these efforts, the NYCVGF will kick off the “NYC Summer of Games”, a citywide calendar of gaming events running May through September 2026 to shine a spotlight on the City’s growing gaming community. 

“The second annual NYC Video Game Festival will welcome more than 1000 New Yorkers for a full day of action, and showcase the talented workforce, indie developers and city agencies that make NYC a global hub for the digital games industry,” said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Rafael Espinal. “This festival has something for everyone – families can enjoy a day that combines learning and fun; students can meet with colleges and employers as they explore next steps in their digital career paths; and members of the digital games community can gather to develop new ideas for how to support this economic engine.”

The NYCVGF invites attendees to step into the action; play tech-powered darts, create new media with AI, and explore immersive VR experiences and real-world simulations. From indie playtests to classic arcade favorites, the festival floor is designed for discovery, creativity, and play, for a hands-on look at what’s next. Experiences and partners include ASUS ROG, Target Darts, National E-Sports Association, Howard Technology Solutions featuring an F1 racing simulator, MegaMinds showcasing real-world scenario simulations, Vivid Imagination providing soccer drone arenas, and more.

A must-attend at NYCVGF, the Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports  Competition in partnership with NYC Schools, brings elementary, middle, and high school borough champion teams together to compete live in the Mayor’s Cup Final, challenging students to reimagine their communities and design a more sustainable, future-ready New York City. The build prompts are always based on real sites in NYC, showing students the potential real impact of their work, including how to improve transportation to the Queens Willets Point soccer stadium and how to reimagine Governors Island as a hub for sustainability.    

The excitement continues as eight teams from SUNY, CUNY and NY private colleges will advance from the field of 27 to go head-to-head in the League of LegendsⓇ  and ValorantⓇ collegiate esports finals, part of the NYC Collegiate Esports Circuit, showcasing top emerging talent and the next generation of competitive players.

The NYCVGF kicks off the NYC Summer of Games initiative, which includes:

• Tribeca Games Gallery, June 10-15
• Power Up Festival, June 20 
• Games for Change Festival, July 21-22 
• PaleyGX Gaming & VR, TBD
• New York Videogame Critics Circle/Playing With Purpose Celebrity Stream, August 16
• Play NYC @ Anime NYC, August 21-24
• Game Devs of Color Expo, September 16-19

“ASUS ROG is proud to partner with the NYC Video Games Festival as we return to support the continued growth of esports in education,” said Josh Kim, Product Marketer at ASUS Republic of Gamers. “After seeing the impact this event has on students and educators, it was an easy decision to come back and stay close to that momentum. This collaboration gives us a meaningful way to connect directly with the community, bring hands-on access to high-performance gaming technology, and reinforce how esports drives teamwork, creativity, and real-world technical skills. We’re excited to keep building with an event that’s shaping the next generation of players and creators.”

“We’re proud to return as a sponsor of the NYC Video Game Festival after two incredible years of creating memorable experiences for New Yorkers,” said Branden Baskin, Executive Director, Vivid Imagination Inc. "This year, we’re excited to elevate the activation with two arenas and expanded interactive experiences that bring together competition, community, and the future of play. Events like this show how gaming and technology can inspire, connect, and energize people of all ages.”

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