Kortrijk, Belgium – January 2026 – Xbox Game Camp (XGC) is expanding its reach across Europe, continuing to foster game development communities built on the values of connection and collaboration over competition. This year, XGC takes a significant step forward with the launch of a powerful new initiative in Belgium aimed at strengthening the bridge between education, entrepreneurship and industry – helping Belgian talent to unleash its full creative and economic potential. Following collaboration with Roots & Pixels, a central goal is also to bridge the gap between African and Belgian game developers. Xbox Game Camp Belgium 2026 will take place from March 31 – April 3, 2026, in close collaboration with Howest University of Applied Sciences and its Digital Arts & Entertainment (DAE) degree program, Flanders Game Hub, Roots & Pixels, and with the support of the Flemish Government. The event will be a one-of-a-kind game jam, uniting academic research and commercial gaming in a creative, collaborative environment.
In a region renowned for its innovative culture in the arts and technology, XGC Belgium seeks to strengthen connections between local game studios and the global gaming market.
"Game Camp Belgium is unique in that it’s designed to empower game developers who are studying game design on a university level by offering hands-on expertise provided by professional game developers from Xbox together with the highly knowledgeable university faculty" said Peter Zetterberg, Head of Xbox Game Camp. "By replicating the successful Swedish model of tying the industry closer to the world of academia while strengthening the public perception of the craft of gamede velopment itself, Belgium is poised to be well-positioned to lead game development in Europe."
Announced by Microsoft during the UNWRAP Festival on October 3, 2025, XGC Belgium 2026 offers a new format where participants work on original games during a three-day game jam. Employees from various Xbox studios across Europe are joining in-person and remotely to support and give live feedback during the jam. The game jam runs from Tuesday March 31 to Thursday April 2 ends with a celebration of the work completed and practice pitch meetings between developers and a review group consisting of industry experts and Xbox representatives.
Howest, an innovative university with one of the world’s leading game development curricula through Digital Arts & Entertainment (DAE), plays a key role in this collaboration.
“Together with Microsoft, Howest intends to build strong bridges between the educational context and the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Rik Leenknegt from Howest University. “Our goal is to bring education, tech giants and investors together to build solid foundations for creative, technology-driven startups.”
“The past years, we have turned the Flemish ecosystem into a unique breeding ground for talent for the international entertainment industry. The collaboration with Microsoft XGC fits in the bigger Howest talent valorization strategy to turn that talent into innovative, impactful startups in our region that will strengthen our industry. We are convinced that connecting this talent to the Microsoft Xbox ecosystem will spark new ambitions and insights that hopefully will lead to a new generation of promising startups. It will broaden their network and increase their understanding of how the economics of our industry works. “
Collaboration with Flanders Game Hub
A selection of indie startups and established companies will also have the opportunity to participate in the game jam. “It’s the synergy of students, companies, and experts during this jam that will make the event so inspiring for everyone involved,” says Michiel Houwen, General Manager of the Flanders Game Hub.
“While game jams themselves are common, the ability to develop a game with an expert network and direct access to Microsoft & Xbox is a singular opportunity. What’s even more compelling is the partnership between Flanders Game Hub and Microsoft Xbox to offer selected teams a 3-6 month coaching track following the XGC Gamejam. These teams will benefit from frequent mentoring sessions with both Microsoft and FGH experts. Our goal is to guide these teams toward market-ready games and showcase the results on stage during our Unwrap Festival at the end of October 2026 (www.unwrap.be).”
Roots & Pixels
One of the key priorities for XGC Belgium is to build bridges between Belgium and Africa, particularly with the African nations of South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda. Building on the success of XGC Africa 2023 and 2024, Xbox Game Camp is partnering with Roots & Pixels to provide African women in the gaming industry with a platform to share knowledge, resources, and visibility between continents.
Roots & Pixels is a game jam and training initiative focused on empowering female-identifying game developers, with a strong emphasis on creating meaningful, diverse storytelling. The program’s goal is to shrink the digital gap and facilitate collaboration across borders, giving female creators the opportunity to work together on impactful games.
In collaboration with Games for Change, the program will focus on designing games for impact, introducing ethically-relevant and societally-impactful themes that African and Belgian developers will build upon during the game jam.
“Roots & Pixels is an initiative designed to bring together female game developers from Belgium and Africa”, commented Allie Weis, spokesperson and lead project manager for the program. “While there are several initiatives supporting women in games and digital entertainment in both regions, the gender gap still remains, and collaboration across these initiatives has been limited. This program aims to change that.”
As the Belgian government continues to prioritize innovation and inclusivity, Xbox Game Camp Belgium 2026 exemplifies the program and partners commitment to fostering a vibrant, diverse, and internationally-connected game development community. By empowering students and professionals alike, this event will not only strengthen the local gaming ecosystem but also create a lasting global impact.
"I am very pleased that Microsoft is bringing Xbox Game Camp to our country, and in particular to Flanders. It shows that our region of Flanders is increasingly seen as a key player in the global game industry.” said Cieltje Van Achter, Flemish Minister for Brussels and Media, “With our growing ecosystem of studios, developers and first-class programs such as Digital Arts & Entertainment at Howest, Flanders has everything it takes to continue its advance in the gaming sector. This partnership reinforces our ambition to support creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in digital media."
Want to participate in the Xbox Game Camp Belgium Game Jam taking place From March 31 - April 2?
We have 40 spots available for indie teams (startups and seasoned studios), so don’t wait to apply! 🎮Register via the application form here: https://lnkd.in/eDSXrme8
Deadline: 16th of March 2026.
About Xbox Game Camp
Xbox Game Camp was founded in 2020 on the belief that extraordinary talent resides everywhere. The purpose of the program is to empower future waves of creators, storytellers and game studios to achieve more and realize their potential in the gaming industry while growing thriving game development communities around the world.
If you have questions about Xbox Game CampBelgium, visit www.xbox.com/gamecamp or email gamecamp@microsoft.com
About Howest University of Applied Sciences
Howest University of Applied Sciences is an atypical, creative,innovative and enterprising institution. By exploring talents and passion, Howest coaches its students to become team-oriented, highly skilled and directly employable professionals who are able to anticipate developments in our global society.
· Learn more: Bachelor Digital Arts and Entertainment
About Flanders Game Hub
Flanders Game Hub is an accelerator within Flanders’ game industry. Founded by Hangar K, FLEGA, Howest DAE, Department of Culture,Youth and Media, VAF, VLAIO, FIT and with the support of various actors in the Flemish video game environment. Flanders Game Hub forms the driving force behind a strong game and entertainment XR industry in Flanders.
· Learn more: Flanders Game Hub
About Roots & Pixels
In collaboration with VLIRUOS, VAF, Spielfabrique, and Games for Change,Roots & Pixels is a training and game jam for female-identifying game developers from Belgium, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda. Roots & Pixels focuses on making games for impact and meaningful/diverse storytelling. Its goals are to shrink the digital gap, empower female creators, and catalyze collaboration between game developers from Africa and Europe.
· Learn more: About | Rootspixels
