[Commlist] cfa: Video Game Studies Conference (SVI 2026) – Sound of Games

Kazimierz Wielki University, Faculty of Cultural Studies,

The University of Novi Sad, Academy of Arts,


invite you to the Fifth International Video Game Studies Conference (SVI 
2026)


Bydgoszcz, Poland

November 12-13 Nov 2026


SOUND OF GAMES

   The fifth edition of the SVI video game conference, Sound of Games, 
is dedicated to the study of sound, music, and voice as fundamental yet 
still insufficiently examined dimensions of video games. Building on the 
long-standing dialogue between academic research and industry practice 
that characterizes the SVI series, the conference aims to bring together 
scholars, composers, sound designers, voice actors, and other 
practitioners working with game audio. Focusing on issues such as the 
aesthetics and functions of game music, sound design as a component of 
gameplay and player experience, the cultural and political implications 
of audio, voice acting and performance, technological infrastructures, 
and practice-based research methodologies, the conference seeks to 
address sound as both an artistic and a systemic phenomenon.

   By foregrounding audio as a site where technology, creativity, 
embodiment, and interaction converge, Sound of Games emphasizes the 
position of video games as complex audiovisual forms that are 
simultaneously programmed systems and cultural artifacts. Reflecting 
this complexity, the conference is structured around thematic areas that 
allow for the permeation of theory and practice, analysis and making, 
and academic reflection and professional experience, highlighting game 
sound as a crucial lens through which to rethink video games as 
mediated, interdisciplinary, and deeply sensory creations.

   The Sound of Games conference is addressed to both scholars and 
industry practitioners. We welcome scholars of all disciplines, 
composers, sound designers, performers, writers, to contribute to a 
critical and creative exploration of audio in digital, analogue and 
hybrid games. We seek interdisciplinary work that addresses the 
cultural, aesthetic, technological, and experiential dimensions of game 
sound, music, and voice performance across global contexts.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Theory, Analysis, and Aesthetics of Game Music**

•      Analytical approaches to game soundtracks and adaptive scores

•      Interplay between music, narrative, and gameplay

•      Genre conventions and experimental strategies

•      Intertextuality, quotation, and nostalgia

Cultural, Social, and Political Dimensions of Game Audio**

•      Sound, identity, gender, race, and sexualities

•      Local, regional, and diasporic sound cultures in games

•      Music licensing, copyright, and global media economies

•      Crossovers with film, theater, animation, and other media

Sound Design, Audio Technologies, and Player Experience**

•      Spatial audio, procedural sound, and haptics

•      Accessibility, optimization, and technical constraints

•      Artificial intelligence in composition and sound design

•      Psychoacoustics and player response

Voice Acting, Performance, and Vocal Presence**

•      Techniques and aesthetics of voice performance in games

•      Localization, dubbing, performance capture, and multilingual 
practices

•      Ethics of voice labour, representation, and digital cloning

•      Emotional design, characterization, and immersion

Education and History**

•      Training in composition, sound design, and voice acting

•      Pedagogical models, curricula, and interdisciplinary practice

•      Oral histories, fan archives, and community memory

•      Histories of video game sound and music cultures

Confirmed keynote speakers:

Adam Skorupa

Music Composer and Sound Designer

Music Imaginary


Melanie Fritsch

Game Studies junior professor and game music expert

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

The official language of the conference is English. Abstracts of up to 
300 words, with up to 5 keywords, along with a short bio (up to 100 
words) should be sent before July 1st, 2026, to (conference.svi /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(conference.svi /at/ gmail.com)>.

Please visit our website for detailed information 
https://sviconference.org <https://sviconference.org/> **

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