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Game Republic New Horizons 2026 took place at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium from 14 to 16 October. A secondary report put attendance at 461 visitors, but the same report calculates growth from 259 as 78%, not 76%. Game Republic’s official material has not yet published a definitive 2026 attendance total, so 461 should be treated as a reported figure rather than a confirmed official result.
What happened at New Horizons 2026?
Game Republic positioned New Horizons as a UK flagship games-industry conference, bringing developers, studios, investors, publishers and technology companies together for three days in Middlesbrough. The programme combined conference talks with practical business and networking opportunities rather than operating as a consumer game show.
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Official event information listed studio-leader and developer talks, networking, MeetToMatch meetings, an Investor Zone delivered with Games London, an exhibition, technology deep-dives, masterclasses, funding forums and the Indie Stars showcase. Before-and-after parties extended the programme beyond the main conference sessions.
The pre-party and Dead by Daylight anniversary
The pre-party included a tenth-anniversary celebration of Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight, a developer fireside chat, themed entertainment, food and drink, and playable sessions. It was designed as an informal setting for attendees to meet before the main conference days.
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How many people attended?
The best available 2026 figure is 461 visitors, reported by Global Breaking News on 16 October 2026. That report also listed 257 MeetToMatch meetings. However, the figure is not backed by an official Game Republic post-event attendance release in the available material.
Game Republic’s official 2025 recap recorded more than 250 attendees from over 150 companies. The 2026 report says attendance rose from 259 to 461 and describes that as 78% growth. The arithmetic is consistent with 259 as the starting point: an increase of 202 visitors is approximately 78% of 259. It does not establish the 76% figure used in the headline claim.
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| Measure | Figure | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 attendance | More than 250 | Official Game Republic recap; the recap also said attendees represented more than 150 companies |
| 2026 attendance | 461 visitors | Reported by Global Breaking News on 16 October 2026; not yet confirmed in an official Game Republic total |
| Reported comparison baseline | 259 | Used by the secondary report for its year-over-year calculation |
| Reported growth | 78% | The secondary report’s calculation from 259 to 461; this conflicts with the 76% wording |
| MeetToMatch meetings | 257 | Figure reported by Global Breaking News for the 2026 event |
Until Game Republic publishes a post-event release, the defensible wording is that 461 visitors were reported, while the exact official total and percentage increase remain unconfirmed.
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What business opportunities did the conference provide?
MeetToMatch networking
MeetToMatch gave participants scheduled one-to-one meetings with potential business contacts. The 2026 secondary report counted 257 meetings. For context, Game Republic said its 2025 feedback recorded more than 100 MeetToMatch meetings, indicating that structured matchmaking was a central part of the event’s business offer.
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Investor Zone with Games London
The Investor Zone was organised in collaboration with Games London. It gave teams a dedicated setting to discuss investment and funding with people in the games finance ecosystem, complementing the conference’s funding forums and commercial networking.
Expo, masterclasses and technology sessions
The expo and technology deep-dives focused on production tools and industry practice, while masterclasses offered more detailed learning than the headline talks. Together, these formats let attendees combine deal-making with professional development and demonstrations.
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Who attended and what results were reported?
Game Republic managing director Jamie Sefton said more than a third of 2025 attendees came from outside the region, including London, the South-East and overseas. The same official announcement reported that 89% secured new contacts and 28% secured a new project or deal at the event. Those percentages describe feedback from the 2025 edition, not independently verified outcomes for 2026.
The 2026 partner group included Xsolla, Red Kite Games and Double Eleven. Games London’s collaboration covered the Investor Zone, adding an investment-focused strand to the conference’s studio, developer and publisher audience.
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What was the Indie Stars showcase?
Indie Stars selected ten unpublished games from developers in Canada, the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. Attendees voted for a favourite during the event.
- The winner received a cash prize and 12 months of Game Republic membership.
- The top three games secured places at GaMaYo.
- The showcase gave unreleased projects visibility alongside the conference’s business and investor programming.
What should readers conclude about the 76% claim?
The event itself, its dates and its programme are established by official Game Republic material. The attendance claim needs more careful attribution: 461 visitors comes from a secondary report, while the official sources available so far describe the 2025 baseline and refer to the 2026 gathering in broader terms. Because the secondary report’s own numbers produce 78% growth from 259, 76% should not be presented as a settled statistic.
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