The RDS became the hub for all things gaming last month as legions of Irish fans celebrated the annual GamerFest.
Spirits were high as top Irish talent across gaming development, content creation, cosplay, and esports took centre stage against a sea of PlayStations, PCs, arcade machines, and tabletop gaming.
Although the pandemic saw an increase in how we all played online, GamerFest proved there's something unmistakably magical about meeting up and gaming with friends in person.
Irish talent front and center
GamerFest's strength this year was undoubtedly showcasing Ireland’s top-tier content creators and esports competitors.
From Jamie Jay Car and The Gara Show to MissAudreyy, Antitinkerbell, and a Q&A with special guest Seapeekay, the line between our favourite streamers and YouTubers grew incredibly thin. All Cast Irish Gamers provided a bounty of laughs and kept the mainstage alive and kicking throughout the weekend.
Industry legends John and Brenda Romero were also awarded the first Lifetime Achievement award on Saturday, recognizing the pair’s immense contribution to games development both here in Ireland and abroad.
Throughout the day, an endless queue of fans waited to meet the pair, and judging from their Q&A panel, the feeling of love was mutual.
When asked about their views on Irish talent in gaming, Brenda said: "A lot of people don’t know just how much game development is happening here. I feel like I’m preaching to the choir, but Ireland is a super creative and talented place. We could have moved anywhere, but this is where we wanted to be".
She highlighted the recent government tax credit as a "substantial" support that will promote even more incredible talent to emerge, while John spoke of how Romero Games is not only hiring new Irish developers but attracting Irish people back home from other gaming industries around the world.
Despite numerous attempts by the audience to coax information on John’s new FPS project, the Romeros remained tight-lipped. Maybe next year, we will finally see what future game they’re cooking up...
A blend of future and retro
The event also reflected the rich diversity that is only found in gaming. The innovative augmented reality game Hado proved a massive hit, demonstrating the ambition games have to blend the world of reality and gaming.
Players battled with virtual energy, shields, and the like in something that had to be experienced to be believed.
And beside every gaming booth or console area were gaming development studios, college course providers, and a host of artists and designers sharing their wares. A thriving tabletop area supported by Dakota Ireland kept everyone's magic topped up across the two days.
But just as the future was on display, GamerFest also paid homage to those games that paved the way with its retro gaming scene. From Pac-Man to Streetfighter, gamers of a certain vintage no doubt enjoyed the utter nostalgia (and frustration) of playing these timeless classics.
Ireland’s growing esports scene
Speaking of the future, esports commanded a massive audience throughout GamerFest and highlighted the growing Irish scene and the talent found here.
Across the mains stage and on Twitch, players of Fifa 23, Valorant, and Rainbow Six, duked it out in action-packed matches. Seeing a qualification route for Irish players into bigger leagues and helping formalize the industry into professionalism was also incredible.
If you ever wondered what a career in esports may feel like, an industry panel explored just that. Hosted by EPIC Global’s Trev Keane, the crowd heard from Kurt Pittman of Nativz Gaming, Colm Roche of The Tenth Man, and Commonwealth Esports champion Emma 'Emzii' Rose.
Trev Keane spoke of the need to capitalize on Ireland’s unique position of having triple-A studios like EA, Riot Games, and Activision on our shores. With the right support, Ireland would make for an ideal "test bed" for the esports industry to grow.
Kurt Pittman said Dublin is a "gateway to Europe" in terms of tech. Recent investments, like Riot Game’s €18.5 million project in Swords, is but one example of the industry’s potential here – but that Irish teams and communities behind these games need support.
Colm Roche spoke of the similarities between esports and traditional sports in that brands have huge opportunities to reach communities. "A brand does not come on board to sponsor the Irish rugby team," he said. "They do so to make a difference to the fans, the community of rugby fans. Esports is the exact same. Look at the thousands of people here for GamerFest – it is a huge community".
As a content creator and esports athlete, Emzii spoke of the need to encourage and support more women in the industry. She highlighted how there needs to be that experience of "constantly competing" to translate into playing for the bigger teams, and female leagues will initially upskill competitors to perform on that big, international stage.
"Thumbs are thumbs. Everyone’s got a thumb – probably two in most cases! And there’s no difference between a male and female’s thumb," she said.
"Ultimately, there shouldn’t be any separation, but due to the sheer numbers of guys compared to girls who play esports, if you have one division now, you’d only be showcasing the top 1% of female talent. We just need that initial influx of female leagues, and within a year or two, everyone will have that same experience."
Altogether, GamerFest provided the ideal opportunity for gamers across Ireland to meet, connect and have fun. It allowed Irish talent their much-deserved moment in the sun and is helping develop Ireland’s untapped esports industry. And although the weekend is just over, fans are undoubtedly excited about what 2023’s event can bring.
