Agenda

The State of AI-Native Games is a fast-paced, data-informed tour of what's actually working in the emerging space of games built on generative AI. If you've been hearing about AI's impact on games but aren't sure what it means beyond asset generation and development speedups, this session cuts through the noise. Eleanor Todd and Hilary Mason highlight games where AI isn't a backend tool but the foundation of the experience itself—from viral vampire sandboxes to blockbuster romance sims that have found real audiences and real revenue.

Each game is analyzed through the lenses of design innovation, community response, and available performance data. What worked? What flopped? What does player behavior tell us about where this space is headed? The session wraps with key takeaways and bold predictions for 2026 and beyond.

Whether you're evaluating whether to build in this space, trying to understand what your competitors might be doing, or simply want to understand what "AI-native gameplay" actually means in practice, this talk delivers a clear-eyed look at the current state of play.

Takeaway

Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of what defines an AI-native game, which titles have broken through, and why players responded the way they did. The session offers concrete insights into emerging design patterns, early market signals, and where this space appears to be headed. You'll walk away knowing which experiments succeeded, which failed, and what that means for the broader games industry.

Intended Audience

This session is for game industry professionals who want to understand what AI means for game design and the competitive landscape—no AI expertise required. If you're a designer, producer, studio leader, or strategist who's been hearing about AI-native games but hasn't had time to play them all yourself, this talk distills the signal from the noise. We assume you know games deeply; we'll introduce you to what's genuinely new about this emerging category.