Six women developers from around the country have been selected to present their games to a panel of industry experts in the groundbreaking AT&T Unlocked Games competition.
After an open call for women developers and women-led developer teams, the final six will present their games during a livestream event on Dec. 2 with $50,000 in development money at stake for the winner.
The finalists include:
Chenwei Jin of IceToad Studio for 3D perspective puzzle game: AiliA
Ally Overton for donut factory puzzle game: Freshly Frosted
Mandy Lowry of Black Hive Media for 2D sci-fi arena shooter: Kova: AlphaLink
Gwen Frey of Chump Squad for satirical puzzle game: Lab Rat
Abby Howard of Black Tabby Games for choose-your-own-adventure horror game: Scarlet Hollow
Victoria Sertich of 3D Generation LLC for competitive action puzzle game: Swapette Showdown
Top streamers Anne Munition and Bnans will host the AT&T Unlocked Games stream, which will be broadcast on ELEAGUE's Twitch and AT&T's Twitter, in addition to their own Twitch channels (twitch.tv/annemunition and twitch.tv/bnans) starting at 9 p.m E.T. on Dec. 2.
The finalists will present to End Boss gaming experts ' Jay Powell, Susan O'Connor, Kimberly Corbett, Renee Gittins, Gordon Bellamy and Lisette Titre-Montgomery ' who will select a Grand Prize winner and Runner-Up. The audience will also vote for a Gamers’ Choice winner.
'It's remarkable to see the variety of creative genres and approaches to gameplay that came from these developers,' said Shiz Suzuki, assistant vice president of sponsorship and experiential marketing at AT&T. 'All six of the finalists underscore how the gaming industry benefits from creators with diverse experiences and fresh thinking. I'm proud that we can elevate these great titles through this program, and I'm looking forward to seeing the competition unfold.'
The Grand Prize winner receives:
$50,000 toward final game development.
The opportunity to demonstrate and debut their work as a VIP at Dreamhack 2021 and brought to life by AT&T.
Mentorship and a lifetime membership to International Game Developers Association (IDGA).
Promotional and marketing support from AT&T, including a $3,000 credit toward AT&T devices and hotspots to keep their team connected and assist with mobile game development.
In addition to IGDA, AT&T Unlocked Games is collaborating with game developer organizations such as Society of Women Engineers, Women Who Code, and Blacks In Technology who have helped to promote the competition and drive submissions.
AT&T Unlocked Games is another example of how AT&T is taking action to level the playing field for women in the world of gaming, sports and entertainment.
