First Playable: the premier business event for game developers returns to Florence from 11-13 June 2025

The seventh edition of First Playable, the leading international business event dedicated to the video game industry in Italy, will be held in Florence from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 June 2025. The initiative is promoted by IIDEA, the national trade association for the video game sector, and by Toscana Film Commission – Fondazione Sistema Toscana, in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency and with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The event aims to support the growth and internationalisation of the Italian video game industry. The Italian Trade Agency will bring approximately 40 international companies to the event, including two from the United States, further strengthening the event’s role as a strategic platform for internationalisation.

“First Playable has proven to be essential for accelerating the development of Italy’s video game industry. It complements Italy’s presence at major international trade shows by offering a window entirely focused on showcasing the Italian ecosystem, and a unique platform where local studios can connect directly with international publishers and investors in a dedicated setting. The impact is clear in the data from our latest industry reports: the share of Italian developers citing publishers and investors as key sources of funding has grown from 30% to 38% in recent years. By attracting global attention to the creativity and innovation of Italian studios, First Playable plays a key role in positioning Italy as an emerging hub in the global video game landscape.”
— Thalita Malagò, Director General, IIDEA

Over the course of three days, Florence will host Italian developers, international guests, publishers, and investors from around the world. The program will be distributed across two key venues: Cinema La Compagnia, the official Casa del Cinema of the Region of Tuscany, and the Palazzo degli Affari, a modern congress centre located near the Santa Maria Novella railway station.

More than 40 international guests, including leading publishers and investors, have already confirmed their participation and will be available for one-on-one meetings with Italian developers, organised through the MeetToMatch matchmaking platform.

For the first time, IIDEA has introduced a new roundtable format: one-to-many meetings between an international guest and a selected group of Italian developers. These sessions will facilitate discussion and knowledge-sharing among participants from across the national industry.

The Italian Video Game Awards are organised by IIDEA to celebrate excellence in the Italian video game industry. Awards will be presented in seven categories:
– Best Italian Game
– Best Italian Debut Game
– Outstanding Art
– Outstanding Experience
– Outstanding Individual Contribution
– Outstanding Italian Company
– Community Spotlight Award (new)

Italian Game 2025 finalists will also be featured, promoted by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy with Invitalia and IIDEA. The winner will be announced on 12 June.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on Twitch (Multiplayer.it), media partner of the event.

Partners include Epic Games (Diamond Partner), Bologna Game Farm, GAME-ER, OGR Torino, Quickload, LCA Studio Legale, Memorable Games, Slitherine (Gold), and Audio Network Italia, Caracal Games, Untold Games, Xsolla (Silver).

Tickets are available via Eventbrite: Developer Full Access and Developer Social Access.

More information: www.firstplayable.it