XDS will sponsor a new category at the MCV/DEVELOP Women in Games Awards 2025

XDS will sponsor the brand-new Excellence in External Development Award at the upcoming MCV/DEVELOP Women in Games Awards, which will be held at the America Square Conference Centre in London on September 25, 2025.

The new award will celebrate a woman who has made a significant impact in the field of External Development within the video game industry. Through dedication, leadership, and innovation, she has elevated the role of external partnerships in game production — whether in co-development, art, QA, audio, localization, or other key disciplines. Her work will not only have shaped successful projects, but will also have advanced industry standards and inspired others to build better, more collaborative, diverse, worldwide development ecosystems.

“Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of working on teams where women made up the majority — an experience that’s both inspiring and a testament to how external development is becoming a powerful, fulfilling space for female talent in games. This discipline lets us contribute meaningfully to the success of global titles — helping studios deliver at scale, collaborating across borders, solving complex production challenges, and building long-distance partnerships that are just as strong as in-house teams,” said XDS’ Advisory Chair Carla Rylance.

“But beyond the work, it’s the community that makes external development special: passionate, innovative, and deeply collaborative. That’s why this award means so much. At XDS, we have a responsibility to amplify and support our female-identifying peers—to offer spaces where their voices are elevated, their ideas take root, and their impact on our industry continues to grow. Together, we’re helping shape the future of game development—bigger, better, and more inclusive than ever before.”

If you’d like to nominate someone for the Excellence in External Development Award, you can do that here. Nominations will close on July 14, 2025, so be sure to get your submissions in as soon as possible.