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The 2026 Level Up Showcase took place on April 7 at Toronto’s Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, bringing student-made games from Ontario post-secondary programs to a public exhibition. Admission was free, and the event gave visitors a chance to play games, meet their developers and attend a closing awards ceremony. It has now ended.
What the Level Up Showcase is
Level Up Showcase is an annual public exhibition of student game-development work. Students display games developed through post-secondary programs, while visitors can try the projects and talk with their creators. The event also connects students with industry professionals through networking and recruitment opportunities, and concludes with awards recognizing standout work. Level Up Showcase describes its purpose as celebrating student talent.
OCAD University’s listing names Algonquin College, Brock University, Humber Polytechnic, the University of Toronto and OCAD University’s Digital Futures Program among the participating institutional partners. The showcase is organized by faculty and post-secondary institutions in partnership with XP Gaming. OCAD University’s event listing provides the event description and partner details.
What was announced for the 2026 event
In its March 23, 2026 announcement, OCAD University said visitors would have the opportunity to play over 150 student-created games from more than 22 post-secondary institutions. The university also expected over 3,000 attendees. Those numbers were announced expectations; OCAD’s release does not establish final game, institution or attendance totals. OCAD University’s announcement also named Zynga as title sponsor.
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OCAD University identified funding from Ontario Creates and the City of Toronto, along with corporate sponsors including Ubisoft Toronto, 2K Games, AMD, Blue Ocean Games, Sledgehammer Games, Behaviour Interactive, Epic Games, Puzzle Cats and Uken Games. Sponsorship indicates industry participation, but does not by itself establish an endorsement of the student projects.
When and where it took place
The showcase ran on April 7, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. W., Toronto, Ontario. OCAD University listed admission as free, and the Eventbrite listing is marked ended. The event listing confirms the date, venue and concluded status.
XP Gaming’s February 26 release has an apparent typo in its event-details block, which says April 7, 2025. Its opening paragraph says April 7, 2026, in line with OCAD University’s event page and the Eventbrite listing; 2026 is the confirmed event date. XP Gaming’s release contains the discrepancy.
What the event offered students and visitors
- Hands-on exposure: Visitors could play student projects rather than only view a presentation or trailer.
- Direct contact: Attendees had opportunities to meet developers, while students could connect with industry professionals and potential recruiters.
- Public recognition: A closing awards ceremony gave selected work a place in the spotlight.
The event’s format puts early-career developers and their work in front of a public audience as well as people working in the games industry. Independent coverage by MobileSyrup also reported the scheduled awards.
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What is not confirmed about the final totals
The published event materials cited here establish the planned scale, but not the final turnout or final number of games exhibited. OCAD University’s figure of over 3,000 attendees was a forecast, not a post-event count. Similarly, the announced opportunity to play over 150 games should not be read as a verified final display total.
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