MIGS25 puts funding and survival front and center in Montreal

Why MIGS25 caught my eye this year

In a year where “what’s your runway?” has replaced “when’s your launch?”, a summit built around innovation, competitiveness, and financing feels painfully on the nose-in a good way. Montréal’s 22nd International Game Summit (MIGS25), running November 11-12 at Grand Quay, isn’t another fan expo. It’s a B2B pressure cooker: 90 speakers, 2,500 industry folks, and a who’s-who of publishers converging to figure out how we actually keep making games in a tighter market.

Key Takeaways

• Financing is the main character this year-expect practical talks on funding routes, recoup, and surviving publisher due diligence.
• Big-money strategy on stage: Savvy Games Group will outline how MENA investment intersects with Canadian growth.
• Montréal is flexing its ecosystem: tax credits, a massive talent pool, and even official training recognition to justify your trip.
• The density of buyers and service providers means real deals-if you come prepared with a tight pitch and clear scope.

Breaking down what’s actually on offer

Organized by La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec and produced by XP Gaming, MIGS25 is positioning itself as a place to learn the craft and lock in the business. Beyond the talk tracks, there’s the newly expanded ExDev Hub powered by Game Caviar, connecting more than 1,400 service providers with teams looking to scale. Translation: if you need art, porting, QA, or a co-dev partner, this is fertile ground.

The Business Lounge, powered by MeetToMatch, is where the real pressure happens—200 buyers and a broad slate of publishers including Sony/PlayStation, Xbox, Devolver Digital, Focus Entertainment, NACON, Team17 / Everplay Group, Epic Game Store, 2K, and more. If you’re shopping a vertical slice or a milestone-ready pitch, this density is gold. If your deck is still vibes and concept art, don’t expect magic.

Session-wise, MIGS is actively threading creation and commercialization. “Our goal is twofold: to help participants explore new paths to opportunity, and to strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset that drives excellence—from creation and publishing to global commercialization,” says Jean-Jacques Hermans, Executive Director of La Guilde. The pitch: come for craft insights, leave with a business plan that survives 2025’s reality check.

The financing question on everyone’s mind

Let’s not pretend otherwise: the last couple of years have made publishers pickier, capital more expensive, and marketing riskier. That’s why a headline session from Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group, is a lightning rod. Savvy owns Scopely, EFG (DreamHack, Intel Extreme Masters, Esports World Cup), and more—real global reach and real money. Ward is set to connect Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA ecosystem to Canadian opportunity, pitching a “sustainable and globally connected industry.”

Here’s what matters for devs: ask about deal structures. Equity versus publishing advances. Recoup waterfalls. IP ownership. Marketing minimums and user acquisition expectations. Regional incentives. What happens if timelines slip. Big checks sound great until deliverables meet milestone gates. Take the optimism, but walk into those meetings with hard questions and a production plan you can actually hit.

And yes, geopolitical funding comes with perception trade-offs. Some studios will welcome the runway; others will weigh brand impact with their communities. There’s no one-size answer, but understanding the strings attached is part of being competitive in 2025.

Craft talks that could actually help your next build

The speaker slate taps teams behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Balatro, Helldivers 2, South of Midnight, Split Fiction, and The Outer Worlds 2. That’s a healthy spread across AAAs, stylish indies, and new IP. If these sessions are honest postmortems, expect the good stuff: how Balatro navigated platform compliance as a rogue deckbuilder, what Helldivers 2 learned about server scaling and crossplay expectations, and how teams are planning content cadence without burning out.

“The best way to grow is to learn directly from those who’ve achieved it,” says Jason Lepine of XP Gaming. That’s only true when speakers get specific—tools, pipelines, and production decisions with numbers attached. I want to hear about team sizes, iteration cycles, why a feature was cut at alpha, and how a marketing beat was timed with a demo drop. Less “vision,” more version control.

Why Montréal is the right backdrop

Montréal has the ingredients: a deep talent pool built by decades of AAA footprint, a thriving indie scene, and competitive tax incentives that keep production here. MIGS25 even carries official recognition under Québec’s 1% workforce training law—meaning local studios can count attendance toward annual training investments. That’s not just paperwork; it’s ammo for producers justifying travel and time away from sprint builds.

Government backing underscores this isn’t a hobbyist gathering. The city and provincial support frame games as a core creative economy pillar, which tracks with what anyone who’s walked through Mile End already knows: this town ships a lot of games.

If you’re attending, here’s how to make it count

• Lock your meetings now. MeetToMatch fills fast, and hallway serendipity isn’t a plan.
• Lead with your hook and proof: one-liner, two screenshots or a 60-90 second clip, and a milestone-ready budget.
• Know your ask: advance size, timeline, platforms, recoup terms you’ll accept, and what you’ll trade on IP.
• Come with a fallback. If a publishing deal stalls, who can handle co-dev, porting, or QA to keep momentum?

TL;DR

MIGS25 isn’t about sizzle reels; it’s about survival and smart growth. If you need capital, partners, or production wisdom grounded in reality, Montréal’s summit is worth the calendar space—just bring a sharp pitch and sharper questions.

⚡ Related articles ⚡

Cloud Gaming 2025: Winners, Trade‑offs, and What Actually Works Steam Is Still the Gatekeeper — Rokky’s PC Distribution Report Shows Why Devs Are Looking Elsewhere Amazon Shelves Its Lord of the Rings MMO Amid 14,000 Layoffs — The Real Story for MMO Fans France’s CNC Puts Real Money Behind ‘Made in France’ Games — What It Actually Means Nadella Says Xbox Will Be Everywhere — The Real Plan Sounds Like Windows First Gamers and Geek Culture: What This Survey Gets Right — And What Marketers Will Try Next