180 students from 14 Universities and colleges across the North of England will gather at Sheffield Hallam University on 17th June to compete in the Game Republic Student Showcase. The competition that tours Universities and has taken place for more than 16 years, sees leading game studios who have made some of the biggest global games titles judge the art and animation, narrative design, technology, game design and teamwork of the students work.
The GR Student Showcase forms part of the Game Republic events programme supported by Barclays Games and Creative, Xsolla and Red Kite Games.
Game demos, character designs, art portfolios, technical demonstrations and animations will be presented in a fantastic array of 55 projects at the atrium at Sheffield Hallam University and will see projects presented by teams and individuals from Universities and colleges across the North including:
University Campus Doncaster, Grimsby Institute, University of Huddersfield, University of Hull, University of Leeds, University Centre Leeds, Leeds City College, University of Greater Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Salford, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Staffordshire, Wakefield College and York St John University
MD of Game Republic Jamie Sefton said “It has been fantastic to see such a huge response to the call for student projects. It makes the event our biggest yet and highlights the talent we have in our partner Universities and colleges. The students will have a fantastic day meeting industry, showcasing their work and meeting other students on similar courses from across The North at Sheffield Hallam University. I expect to see a really high standard of work produced by the 174 students attending including some great games and new tech and a really special day for the students, course leaders and games company judges.”
Roger Bateman, director of the Sheffield Creative Industries Institute, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be hosting the Game Republic Student Showcase at Sheffield Hallam University this year. The UK is home to some of the most innovative and creative talent in game design and development, and this event is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate that.
“At Sheffield Hallam, we’re proud of our strong connections to the games industry, and we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of game creators through collaboration, creativity, and real-world engagement.”
In 2023, research showed that 90% of previous winners in the Game Republic Student Showcase had gone on to secure games jobs, with 81% staying in the region.
Final year teams will compete in seven categories: Game Art and Animation, Game Technology, Game Narrative Design, Game Level Design, Game Design, Game Audio and Best Team, which will be judged by leading games studios including Distinctive Games (Rugby League 24), Pitstop Productions (casting, voice and audio work for Baldur’s Gate 3), Red Kite Games (co-developer Hogwarts Legacy), Revolution Software (Broken Sword), Sumo Digital (Sackboy – A Big Adventure) and Atomhawk (creative and technical outsourcer for Age of Empires IV, Helldivers 2, and more).
Speaking about the competition, Tom Leighton, Art Manager for Atomhawk said
“We’re incredibly proud to be a judge for Game Republic’s 2025 Student Showcase for Art and Animation.
Atomhawk is always keen to connect with the emerging talent of our industry to keep a fresh perspective and encourage creative careers. We’re passionate about supporting universities to best prepare graduates for life as creative professionals, helping us find the next wave of recruits and keep our industry thriving.
Game Republic brings together more than a dozen institutions every year and it will be a great honour to judge the student projects this year and impart our knowledge from live project experience and years running Art Competitions. We look forward to connecting with the next generation of game industry talent.
Mentorships and portfolio reviews are part of the prizes we are offering to the showcase, so we wish everyone all the best of luck on June 17th!”
Sheffield Hallam University student Anna Moore designed the games mascot for the event which has been used on websites, posters, social media and on the limited-edition T-shirts produced for the event.
The prize presentation will be the culmination of the day alongside a Games Industry Panel on getting into the industry. The event will finish with networking and drinks with games companies, course leaders and the student teams.
The next day the Sheffield Hallam University will be opening its doors again for the first ever Game Republic Careers Conference for students looking for support into their first job or setting up businesses.
To find out more about Game Republic’s educational partners, visit this link which details the excellent establishments who are part of the largest games industry network in the North.
About Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University’s vision is to become the world’s leading applied university, transforming lives and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds.
With more than 28,000 students, it is one of the UK’s largest universities and a leading provider of health education and teacher training. Sheffield Hallam also educates more students from underrepresented backgrounds than any other UK university.
The application of knowledge is at the heart of everything the University does, from students’ learning and experience to business partnerships and innovative research addressing real world challenges.
As a university proudly of its place, Sheffield Hallam is committed to Sheffield and South Yorkshire. In recognition of its leadership both internationally and in promoting the region, the University recently received two awards at the Times Higher Education Awards (2023) – for International Collaboration of the Year and Marketing/Communications Team of the Year.
Sheffield Hallam’s award-winning approach has also seen it awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and named the north’s best apprenticeship provider (2024) and University of the Year (2022) at the Educate North Awards.
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