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.

PHoto of group of students and faculty in Sydney

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.

Read about the tournament

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.

Learn more

Two people sit at a computer with headsets on playing esports.

Video Game and E-Sports Symposium

Every October, the institute hosts a two-day exploration of video games, the industries surrounding them, their histories and legacies, their convergences with cinema and animation and more!

Check it out