Industry Panel – The Future of Video Games
Location: Mackenzie Art Gallery
Date: August 21, 2025
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Curious about the future of video games in Canada? Join a panel of industry veterans as they share personal career highs, hard-won lessons, and what’s really happening behind the scenes in the Canadian video game sector. From building inclusive gaming communities to reimagining design through the lens of accessibility and equity, this conversation will dive deep into the creative, cultural, and economic forces shaping Canadian-made games. You’ll also hear about opportunities for training, funding, and breaking new ground, as well as the challenges that come with pushing the boundaries of who games are for, and what stories they tell.
Kenzie Gordon
Kenzie Gordon (she/her) is a social worker, doctoral candidate, and settler scholar at the University of Alberta on Treaty 6 territory. Her research examines topics ranging from gender-based violence in video games to games education and equity issues in the game industry. She is a board member with Baby Ghosts, a non-profit peer accelerator that helps games studios led by marginalized creators transition to co-operative studio models, and the project manager for The First Three Years, a longitudinal SSHRC-funded study on the transition of games graduates from school to work.
Lucas J.W. Johnson
Lucas J.W. Johnson (he/him) is a queer author, game designer, producer, and entrepreneur, and the Founder and Studio Director of Silverstring Media. Lucas has experimented with interactive narratives, game design, and emergent storytelling for his whole life, with a strong focus on queer stories, player-centric design, and accessibility. With Silverstring Media, he has written several critically-acclaimed and award-winning games including Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between, Flow Weaver (co-developed with Stitch Media), Extrasolar (Lazy 8 Studios), and Timespinner (Lunar Ray Games). He has spoken at conferences across North America about game and transmedia design, writing, education, and business practices. Lucas has also published several works of fiction including his 2022 debut novel The Clockwork Empire.
Vidhi Shah
Vidhi Shah is a Senior UX designer at Riot Games with over eight years of experience shaping gameplay systems and player experience across AAA and indie titles. Previously, at Respawn Entertainment, she worked on Apex Legends, focusing on gameplay UX and designing core meta systems that support competitive depth and long-term player engagement. She previously led UX design on Hardspace: Shipbreaker, an award-winning sci-fi title recognized for its innovative diegetic UI, and contributed to the AR hit Minecraft Earth. Her work reflects a commitment to gameplay UX that is intuitive, immersive, and emotionally resonant. Vidhi has also taught at Northeastern University and BCIT and continues to mentor early-career designers. Her goal is to design deep systems that guide, challenge, and quietly shape how players feel.