Finland Game Talent Fair debuted in Helsinki

On 23 April 2026, Games Factory Talents hosted the first-ever Finland Game Talent Fair, marking a new step for the event as a conference-style gathering focused on knowledge sharing, emerging technology, and industry alignment.

Held at Helsinki City Hall, the event brought together AI experts, investors, game industry professionals, indie studios, and talents for an onsite day dedicated to understanding how technology, creativity, and business are evolving in the games industry.

The event covered AI, investment, and talent to align on emerging tech.

Unlike previous formats, the Finland Game Talent Fair 2026 was designed as a conference-driven experience, putting strong emphasis on talks, panels, and discussions around the most relevant topics shaping the industry today.

The day opened with a keynote by Hyun Park Paliy, CEO of Games Factory Talents, who introduced the vision behind launching this new format.

He highlighted the importance of creating a shared space where studios, startups, investors, and professionals can align on challenges and opportunities, especially as new technologies rapidly reshape the industry.

Oleg Paliy introduced the vision behind launching this new format. He highlighted the importance of creating a shared space where studios, startups, investors, and professionals can align on challenges and opportunities, especially as new technologies rapidly reshape the industry.

Every new event builds on this foundation. After London 2025 introduced the Talent Board– anonymous candidate profiles that companies could proactively browse – and Barcelona 2025 layered in AI-powered matchmaking, in-platform messaging and structured meeting flows, we took everything we learned into Helsinki.

Now, we’re going one step further.

Why the industry needs something better than “just another job board”

Across the global games industry, we’re seeing the same pain points again and again:

For recruiters

• Job postings attract huge volumes of applicants.
• Time-poor hiring teams struggle to cut through, and mid–senior talent gets lost in the noise.
• Events can be chaotic – lots of meetings, but not always with the right people.

For job seekers

• Generic job boards feel like shouting into the void.
• It’s hard to know which companies are actively hiring and who the real decision-makers are.
• Events can be overwhelming without guidance on where to focus time and energy.

Careers Zone is designed precisely to cut through this noise – at Pocket Gamer Connects events, and beyond.

Candidates who join the Careers Zone as job seekers are more likely to make a lasting impression when engaging face-to-face with employers. Even candidates who weren’t admitted on-site gained a competitive edge by entering the Games Factory Talents pool, positioning themselves for future opportunities.

From event feature to always-on matchmaking portal

Based on feedback from PG Connects Barcelona and the latest Helsinki edition, we’ve taken some big steps forward with the Careers Zone platform.

1.Matchmaking is no longer limited to events only
Previously, matchmaking was tightly tied to a specific Pocket Gamer Connects conference. Now:

• Your profile keeps working between events
• As new roles are published by studios using the platform, you can continue to receive personalised matches, even when there’s no conference happening that week.
• In practice, Careers Zone becomes an always-on matchmaking portal for anyone in the games industry who wants targeted, relevant roles – not just another static job board.

2. Smarter, more personalised recommendations
We’ve refined our AI models and matching logic using real-world data and feedback from London, Barcelona and Helsinki.

For companies:
Faster visibility of the right profiles for each role
Less manual screening, more targeted conversations

For candidates, this means:
Matches that better reflect your skills, seniority, location preferences and career goals
Fewer irrelevant roles, more “this actually fits me” opportunities

3. Candidates can keep their profile truly up to date
Another key update: you can now update your profile any time to keep it aligned with where you are right now:

• Add new projects, shipped titles or responsibilities
• Highlight updated skills, tools and engines
• Adjust your availability, relocation preferences or remote expectations

The more accurate your profile, the better the matches – and the more signal we can deliver to hiring teams who are looking for someone exactly like you.

4. Still built around real conversations
We’ve kept (and improved) what people love most:

• Direct messaging between companies and talent
• Options to meet online or onsite in the dedicated Careers Zone space at Pocket Gamer Connects
• CV and LinkedIn review slots at selected events, to help you sharpen your profile and stand out

We invite Companies and Candidates to join the Careers Zone portal

Next stop: Careers Zone at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026

The next big milestone is Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026, taking place 19–20 January 2026 at The Brewery and Barbican, London.

Careers Zone will once again be a core part of the conference, bringing together:

• A global pool of job seekers across disciplines and seniority levels
• Hiring studios actively recruiting for roles in mobile, PC, console, AI, XR, web3 and more

You’ll be able to:

• Sign up as a job seeker for Pocket Gamer Connects London
• Receive role recommendations ahead of the conference
• Request and accept meetings with companies you’re matched with
• Meet them at the dedicated Careers Zone space in London or continue online afterwards.