We arrived in Copenhagen on Friday evening, eager for two immersive days of game audio workshops and panel discussions.

Our Saturday began with breakfast at a cozy local bakery before we made our way to the National Filmschool of Denmark, where the workshops were held. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the event hosts, alongside other friendly and enthusiastic attendees. A buffet with fresh coffee and croissants helped set a relaxed yet energized tone for the day.

The first speaker on the agenda was Rob Bridgett, who explored the direction and future of managing game audio teams, using analogies drawn from the “waves” of coffee culture to illustrate evolving trends. We then broke into work groups to discuss how game audio tools and production workflows have evolved over the years, reflecting on possible future developments within the industry.

Next, Emily Ridgeway shared her career journey, including her impactful work on Counter-Strike at Valve, highlighting how her contributions to the game’s audio design play a key role in both gameplay and competitive dynamics. We engaged in hands-on exercises that explored how audio can fundamentally influence game mechanics, giving players a competitive edge by using sound as a gameplay feature.

Following Ridgeway’s session, Maged Khalil Ragab provided insight into his role as narrative director on The Last of Us Part II. We had the chance to play through selected game sequences while Ragab explained the intricacies of the dialogue systems and shared practical techniques for implementing similar mechanics ourselves.

After a full day of workshops, we gathered for a community dinner. This offered a fantastic chance to connect with other attendees, sharing thoughts and personal experiences over delicious food and drinks in a relaxed, social setting.

Sunday morning began similarly: breakfast at a nearby café, then back to the National Filmschool for another round of coffee and croissants before diving into the day’s activities. We started with a presentation by Elvira Björkman on adaptive music in games. Her session covered innovative composing techniques and ways to incorporate music-driven gameplay, followed by a hands-on opportunity to experiment with these systems ourselves, enhancing our understanding of adaptive audio.

The final event on the agenda was a panel discussion on audio mixing in games, featuring all the day’s speakers. Each shared their thoughts on the topic and discussed how audio mixing impacts their unique roles and creative processes. After the event, we lingered to exchange insights and experiences with other attendees. The weekend provided not only technical knowledge but also a sense of community and inspiration that we’ll carry forward in our own work.

Tadej Supukovic and Michael Schreiber, game design teachers, participated in a workshop on creative perspectives in game audio in Copenhagen, Denmark, from October 25-28, 2024.