The first international Game Gap conference brought together global industry leaders in Uzbekistan

On September 25, 2025, Game Gap — the inaugural international conference in Central Asia focused on the video game and interactive entertainment sector — took place at Caex Hall 2 in Tashkent. Hosted by IT Park Uzbekistan, this event served as a distinctive platform for discussing global trends, fostering new partnerships, and integrating Uzbekistan into the worldwide gaming ecosystem.

The conference showcased keynote addresses from representatives of Tencent and IT Park Uzbekistan.

Hiсham Nouhou, Regional Manager for Central Asia at Level Infinite (Tencent Games Global), delivered an analytical report on global gaming trends, highlighting the growing engagement of players in Uzbekistan and the swift expansion of the nation’s gaming industry.

Additionally, Azamat Rakhmon-Zoda detailed IT Park’s role in advancing industry development and enhancing international collaboration. He noted that at least three new gaming companies are established in Uzbekistan each month, emphasizing the market's potential and its appeal to investors.

Otabek Baratov, founder of Grimore Entertainment, presented his personal narrative in the talk “From Developer to Studio Founder: Shaping Your Own Journey.” He shared his transition from solo game development to founding a comprehensive studio, highlighting the challenges and opportunities encountered by emerging entrepreneurs.

The agenda also included panel discussions and an interactive quiz for attendees.

Two significant panel sessions — “The Future of Indie Game Development in Uzbekistan” and “AI+Vibe Coding in GameDev” — explored the prospects for indie development in Uzbekistan and the influence of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, on new methodologies in game creation.

Panelists included Yuri Kotikov, Publishing Development Director at Voodoo; Nicolas Vie, Business Development Director at Voodoo; Hiсham Nouhou, Regional Manager for Central Asia at Level Infinite (Tencent Games Global); and Azamat Rakhmon-Zoda, Head of the Office for Promising Projects at IT Park Uzbekistan. The sessions were moderated by Akmal Salikhov, founder of GameGoethe, who guided the conversation towards the practical elements of developing local studios, integrating into global frameworks, and utilizing AI-driven solutions to expedite and improve game production.

The conference wrapped up with an engaging quiz that covered all the subjects discussed by the speakers. Participants assessed their attentiveness to the conversations, and those who excelled were awarded special prizes by the organizers.

Game Gap 2025 stood out as a pivotal event that charted a new direction for the advancement of the gaming industry in Central Asia, further solidifying Uzbekistan’s position as a swiftly evolving IT center.