Special Events
Each year, the Karch Gaming Insitute hosts or attends special events in the digital game industry. From tournaments to symposia, exhibits and panels, an exciting array of activities is planned each year with the goal of expanding our students knowledge and understanding of the game industry.
Longhorns Level Up
In January 2026, a multi-disciplinary team from UT Austin students competed against international teams in the 2026 Academic Esports World Tournament in Sydney, Australia.
Adaptation and Evolution of Jurassic Park: Survival video game
In March 2026, the Institute hosted a one-day event featuring a discussion of the business, design, story and production of the highly anticipated Jurassic Park: Survival video game from Craig Sherman, co-director of the game and chief narrative officer at Saber Interactive and Matt McKnight, VP Business Development Saber Interactive. Faculty experts from across UT also discussed the influence of iconic franchise in their fields.
Video Game and E-Sports Symposium
In October 2025, the Institute hosted a two-day in-person + online exploration of video games, the industries around them, their histories and legacies, convergences with cinema and animation, and much more!