Event Details
XDS will take place in Vancouver, Canada on Sept 8-11, 2026
The External Development Summit (XDS) takes place in Vancouver, BC, Canada at the Vancouver Convention Centre (West Building, 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC, V6C0C3). Visit our Venue + Hotel Page for more information.
To receive the latest news and updates regarding XDS, sign up for our regular newsletters here.
XDS believes our community should be truly open for everyone. We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion. This code of conduct outlines our expectations for attendee behaviour as well as consequences for unacceptable behaviour. Review our Code of Conduct.
Registration
- Service Provider (Companies Selling Services or Consulting) If your organization offers any form of service or consulting to Buyers, you must purchase a Service Provider ticket. This includes companies that provide full game development, co-development, art, animation, QA, porting, or other external development services. If your company both develops its own games and provides services, you qualify as a Service Provider, unless you work exclusively within a department that develops your company’s own games and has no involvement whatsoever in selling or marketing services to other studios. If you are representing your company at XDS to promote or provide services in any capacity, please select the Service Provider ticket type.
- Buyer (Individuals Purchasing Services, or Investing) Select the Buyer ticket type if your professional focus is on developing, publishing, or financially supporting the development of games and you are interested in purchasing external services that support game production. This includes studios creating or publishing games using their own IP, publishers working with external developers, and investors who support game studios and want to better understand the external development ecosystem and potential partners. If your company is a Service Provider, and you want to purchase services at XDS, you must work exclusively within a department that purely develops or publishes your company’s own games and has no involvement whatsoever in selling or marketing services to other studios. By selecting the Buyer category, you agree not to promote or sell services at XDS. If your company sells external development services and you are involved in selling or marketing those services, you must register as a Service Provider and not as a Buyer.
- Middleware Provider Middleware providers offer essential tools, technologies, and software components that facilitate game development for other developers and publishers. These offerings are not full game development services, but rather foundational elements and engines that enable game creation. If your company primarily provides these types of tools and technologies, please select the "Middleware Provider" ticket type.
- Country Representative A "Country Representative" serves as an official liaison or ambassador for a specific country's game development industry. Their responsibilities often include fostering connections, promoting studios within their country, and potentially organizing delegations or events at the conference. If your primary role is to represent and promote your country's game industry, please select the "Country Representative" ticket type.
- Indie Buyer The Indie Buyer ticket is intended for independently owned studios with 50 or fewer employees that develop and/or publish their own games and do not sell services to other developers or publishers. To qualify, your company must be independently owned (not a subsidiary or majority-owned by another company) and must not offer any external development services such as co-development, art, animation, QA, porting, engineering, or consulting. If your company exceeds 50 employees, is owned by another company, or sells services to other developers, please select a different ticket category.
If you’re having trouble with your registration, please contact us at [email protected]
You may pick up your badge at registration desks onsite – full details of when and where you can pick up your badge will be provided to attendees closer to the event.
At XDS we aim to strike a balanced ratio of buyers (developers/publishers) and sellers (service providers). As there is typically far more interest from a high numbers of sellers, we limit capacity in order to provide a positive B2B experience for buyers. Once passes have sold out, Service Providers may add their name to the wait list on the registration page in the hopes of additional spots opening prior to the event.
Cancellations with a full refund will be provided until August 1, 2026. After August 1, 2026, cancellations or refunds will not be offered. Transfer of registration to another individual is not permitted after August 18, 2026.
No. XDS does not sell or share attendee information under any circumstances.
If you’ve received an email offering to sell the XDS attendee list, please be aware that it is a scam. Protecting the privacy of our community is a top priority, and we encourage you to forward any suspicious messages to our team—we’re happy to review them.
If you’ve received an email offering to sell the XDS attendee list, please be aware that it is a scam. Protecting the privacy of our community is a top priority, and we encourage you to forward any suspicious messages to our team—we’re happy to review them.
- The Buyer Companion Pass allows a registered Buyer attendee to bring a mentee, or junior team member from the same company to experience XDS. The intention of this category is to support knowledge transfer and mentorship within Buyer organizations, giving emerging professionals the opportunity to observe how external development partnerships are built at XDS. Companion Pass holders receive full access to the conference experience, including sessions and networking events. However, they do not receive access to the XDS Connect meeting system.
- Application
- To apply, the registered Buyer attendee must send an email to: [email protected]
- Please include the following information:
- Your name and company
- The name and role of the person you would like to bring as a Companion
- A short explanation of why this person would benefit from attending XDS
- The XDS Registration Team will review the request to ensure it fits the purpose of the Companion Pass.
- If the request meets the criteria, the XDS Registration Team will issue a 50% discount code.
- You can then use this code during registration to purchase the Buyer Companion Pass.
Travel and Accommodations
Yes, XDS can provide you with an invitation letter for your visa application with proof of registration – please email [email protected] for more information.
Depending on your citizenship, you may! Please visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp for more information.
Yes! We secured preferred rates at our on-site hotels, the Pan Pacific Vancouver and the Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver, available on a first come, first serve basis. Visit our Venue + Hotel Page for more information.
XDS Program & Proceedings
The XDS Advisory Committee is made up of industry leaders who champion for the cooperative advancement of external development within the games industry. These professionals volunteer their time to ensure the program is excellent in content and educational value.
The call for speakers for XDS 2026 will open in spring 2026 - subscribe to our newsletter to be notified. We're always looking for fresh takes on XDEV topics like AI, Ethical XDEV, Industry Stability, Emerging Markets, and Increasing Efficiency.
Attendees include a concentrated group of game developers, vendors, middleware providers and trade organizations representing over 55 countries. Find out more about who attends here.
General Questions
Yes! XDS has an elegant platform called XDS Connect used to connect attending buyers with sellers. The platform includes social features, gamification and allows for the virtual delivery of content. You can learn more about it here.
Yes, if you are based in the Vancouver area and are interested in volunteering, please reach out to us at [email protected].
XDS has a host of valuable sponsorship and partner showcase opportunities that will allow for optimal exposure and engagement with your target market. If you are interested in XDS Sponsorship/Exhibitor opportunities, please visit our Become a Sponsor page.
Yes! XDS is a Climate Friendly Event. Click here to read about the XDS Sustainability Vision
XDS Connect
XDS Connect is a platform allowing the facilitation of meetings between buyers (developers) and sellers (service providers). XDS Connect provides an effective approach to B2B networking before, and during the event. In addition it provides social features, gamification and event content. Find out more about XDS Connect here.
XDS Connect is generally available 2-3 weeks in advance of XDS for all registered attendees and sponsors.
Information on how to access your XDS Connect account will be emailed to all registered attendees closer to the event date.
Do you have a question that you think should be on our FAQ page? Please contact [email protected] and let us know!