- This event has passed.
PDXCON 2019
PDXCON 2019, a celebration of Paradox Interactive’s game universes and communities, will run from October 18 to 20 at the Funkhaus in Berlin, Germany.
Here is the schedule of events:
October 19
- Main Stage (Twitch)
- 8:00 – Doors Open – Arrive early to make time for the security check. From 8 am you will get access to a selection of Booths and Areas. The rest of the Areas will open up after the PDXCON Announcement Show.
- 9:00 – PDXCON Pre-Show – Count down to the big show with the host of the Paradox Podcast! Hear inside info about what to expect, see interviews with the minds behind Paradox, and GET HYPE for PDXCON 2019! Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer).
- 10:00 – PDXCON Announcement Show – The main show and opening ceremony for PDXCON 2019. Find out what’s next for Paradox and get all the news and announcements first. This is a show you don’t want to miss! Featuring Ebba Ljungerud (CEO).
- 11:30 – New Title from PDS – TBA at PDXCON – Top secret event! Stay tuned for the big reveal!
- 12:00 – TBA – Top secret event! Stay tuned for the big reveal!
- 12:30 – Europa Universalis: An Alternate History of the Game – Europa Universalis 4 could have looked much different than it does now. Johan and Martin reflect on six years of Europa Universalis 4 development, decisions made, and what they would do now. Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer), Martin Anward (Game Director), and Johan Andersson (EVP Creative Director).
- 13:00 – Cities Skylines City Builder Premier and “Inside the episode” Panel – The newest episode of our City Builders series takes us to Australia, where twodollarstwenty shares the stories and history of his in-game cities, and how these stories have shaped the city. Learn about how this series came to life from the City Builders featured so far, and see the premiere of the new episode! Featuring Jonathan Whitley (Community Developer, Cities Skylines), Jason Ditmars (“Amipolizeifunk”), Samantha Woods (“Avanya”), Kynan Elliot (“twodollarstwenty”), and Matias Civit (Head of Marketing Creative.
- 13:30 – War Stories From the Frontline of Game Development – Gather around as our panelists from all around the gaming industry get together in Berlin. Hear some inside stories you have never heard before and get a taste of life in the trenches at your favorite studios! Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer), Mitch Gitelman (Founder of Harebrained Schemes), Rod Humble (GM Tectonic), Brenda Romero (CEO Romero Games), and Thomas Johansson (Studio Manager Paradox Development Studio).
- 15:00 – Romero Games will make you a game you can’t refuse… – Brenda and John Romero have been making iconic games for decades, and in 2020 the studio is releasing its latest creation: Empire of Sin, a game that takes place in 1920s prohibition-era Chicago. Why Chicago? Why prohibition? Why Paradox? Why Galway? And is it true that John Romero’s grandmother is in Empire of Sin? Come on over and get the inside scoop! Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer), Brenda Romero (Game Director of Empire of Sin, CEO Romero Games), and John Romero (Game Developer, COO Romero Games).
- 15:30 – Those Metaling Kids: A Look at Battletech: Heavy Metal – Hear Mitch Gitelman and Ryan Burrell from Harebrained Schemes share details about the upcoming expansion and discuss the weight of mech development. Featuring Mitch Gitelman (Founder of Harebrained Schemes and Game Director of Battletech: Heavy Metal) and Ryan Burrel (Principal Systems Designer, Battletech: Heavy Metal).
- 16:00 – Rome wasn’t built in a day – Johan Andersson will delve into the history of the development of Imperator: Rome, and share insights why the team designed the game the way they did. Featuring Johan Andersson (EVP Creative Director at Paradox Development Studio).
- 16:30 – The World of Darkness – Join the World of Darkness Brand Manager for a look at what is ahead for the World of Darkness. Featuring World of Darkness Brand Manager.
- 17:00 – Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Development Update – Join us for a live on-stage developer update where the Hardsuit Labs and Paradox clans will talk about the latest news and our vision for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Featuring Brian Mitsoda (Narrative Lead, Hardsuit Labs), Andy Kipling (CEO, Hardsuit Labs), and Florian Schwarzer (Senior Product Manager, Paradox Interactive).
- 17:30 – Hearts of Iron IV: News from the Front – Hear Dan Lind talk about what’s next for Hearts of Iron, with a detailed look back at where the game has been over the last year. Featuring Dan Lind (Game Director, Hearts of Iron).
- 18:00 – Stellaris: A Signal from the Future – What does the future hold for… the future? Stellaris director Daniel Moregard will take you deep within the Stellaris universe and discuss where the game will ascend from here! Featuring Daniel Moregard (Game Director, Stellaris).
- 18:30 – The High Council of Grand Strategy – See all of our Grand Strategy Game Directors under one roof! Hear from our most cunning minds about what makes a good Grand Strategy Game, the origins and the essence of the Grand Strategy strategy genre, and what clever strategies they have for the future. Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer), Johan Andersson (EVP Creative Director), Jake Leiper-Ritchie (Game Director, Europa Universalis), Dan Lind (Game Director, Hearts of Iron), Henrik Fåhraeus (Game Director, Crusader Kings), Martin Anward (Game Director), and Daniel Moregard (Game Director, Stellaris).
- 20:00 – Paradox Awards – Join us for a gala in celebration of the outstanding achievements in our communities throughout the year. Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer), Paula Thelin (Event Manager), and bands Karleken, Lily La Roux, and Pagan Fury.
- 21:00 – PDXCON Party with Live Band Karaoke – As the night falls in Berlin – Funkhaus will host this year’s epic PDXCON party! Now, any party can bring a Karaoke machine, but at PDXCON, we turn you into a rock star. Our favorite karaoke band will put on a live rock concert, and all they’re missing in their incredible troupe is a singer… you!
- Auditorium
- 11:30 – Teamwork Makes the Stream Work: How to get started as a game streamer – Meet the Paradox streaming producers and some of your favorite streamers from the Paradox community for a discussion on what makes a stream interesting to watch, how to prepare your own stream, and more. Featuring Anders Carlsson (Live Content Producer), Quill18 – Martin Glaude, and more guests to be announced.
- 12:30 – Career Frameworks of the Games Industry – A mix of Paradox professionals from various disciplines get together to discuss how to build a career based on your passion for games. Learn about the best ways to jump-start your career and some vital industry’s do’s and don’ts! Featuring Caroline Lagerqvist (HR Business Partner), Tegan Harris (QA Manager), Ashkan Namousi (Segment Lead Producer), Martin Kullberg (Talent Acquisition Partner), Sandra Neudinger (Product Segment Owner), Lars Hahus (Senior Producer), Pernilla Sparrhult (Design), and more panelists to be announced.
- 13:30 – Behind the DLCnes: The Making of a DLC – The Crusader Kings 2 team will take you through the entire process of making the Holy Fury expansion. Join us as we retell the story, from conception to becoming a fan favorite expansion one year later. This is the tale of Holy Fury. Featuring Gustav Groth (Product Manager), Tegan Harris (QA Manager), Milla Isaksson (Content Designer), Joel Hansson (Programmer), Viktor Stadler (Commercial Manager), Daniel Moore (Producer), Max Collin, (Marketing Creative Producer), and Alexander Oltner (Game Designer).
- 14:30 – Modding Round Table – Paradox loves modding and the modding community is a big part of the success of Paradox Games. For many Paradox employees, modding was the gateway that led them into their careers in gaming! Hear our own employees’ views on modding and ask your own questions. Featuring Steacy Mcilwham (Proudct Manager), Matthew Clohessy (Programmer), Milla Isaksson (Content Designer), Joacim Carlberg (Art Lead, Imperator: Rome), Magne Skjaeran (Programmer), Anders Torlind (Product Manager, Paradox Mods), and Peter Nicholson (Content Designer).
- 15:30 – The World of Darkness Lifestyle – What is the World of Darkness, and what does it mean to its fans? Meet people who help shape the World of Darkness and embrace it as part of their lives, listen to their stories about how it shaped who they are today, and how they share it with others. Share your own thoughts in this round table discussion with the folks inside these stories! Featuring Jason Carl (World of Darkness Brand Marketing Manager, Dhaunae DeVir (Business Developer), Matthew Dawkins (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition developer), Natalya Manzurenko, (World of Darkness Community Ambassador), and more special guests.
- 16:30 – Mechs in the City – A panel discussion about how art, design, and engineering at Harebrained Schemes collaborated to bring epic urban environments to life in Battletech: Urban Warfare. Featuring Connor Monahan (Lead Designer), Aljernon Bolden (Lead Engineer), Carlos Giraldo (Gameplay Engineer), Alina Godfrey (Environment Artist), Zach Hartlage (Environment Artist), and Lee Scheinbeim (Lighting & Rendering Artist).
- 17:30 – Paradox Interactive through the Ages – Are you a veteran of Paradox history? Join Fredrik Wester and Mattias Lilja for a retrospective on the Paradox Interactive saga. Featuring Jesse Hennning (PR Manager), Fred Wester (Executive Chairman of the Board), and Mattias Lilja (Chief Operating Officer).
- 18:00 – The People of The Emerald City – The city of Seattle provides a new backdrop to the world of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and it comes with the opportunity to tell all-new kinds of stories. Hear how Hardsuit Labs is bringing a new World of Darkness to un-life! Featuring Brian Mitsoda (Narrative Lead) and Cara Ellison (Senior Narrative Designer).
- 18:30 – Creating the World of Kaiserreich – Spanning more than a decade of mods across several Paradox games, a YouTube channel and a merchandise web shop, the team behind Kaiserreich details the history of their project and future plans for the mod. Featuring Gabriel Matsakis, Martijn Gobes, and Vincent De Nil.
- 19:30 – TBA – Top secret event! Stay tuned for the big reveal!
- Amphitheater
- 11:30 – In the Head of the CEO – Check in with Ebba Ljungerud after her first full year as CEO of Paradox.
- 12:00 – Building a Sinful Empire – Industry veteran Brenda Romero grew up in Ogdensburg (New York). Ogdensburg plays a big part in the American prohibition history. And as it turns out, it also played a huge part in Game Director Brenda’s decision to make Empire of Sin. Featuring Brenda Romero (Game Director Empire of Sin).
- 12:30 – How to Read a Game: Design Techniques to Enrich Your Game Play or Development – Rod Humble will show how game mechanics can be used to express deeper meaning and create more interesting decision volumes and vectors. Gain a new appreciation for what goes into making your games feel meaningful! Featuring Rod Humble (GM, Tectonic).
- 13:30 – The 30-Hour Punch – Join Hardsuit Labs for a look at how keeping combat fresh turned into one of the biggest challenges facing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Featuring Andy Kipling (CEO, Hardsuit Labs), Chris Brockett (Lead Level Designer), and Luke Dodge (Art Director).
- 14:00 – How to make a Focus Tree in One Hour – A behind-the-scenes look at the design philosophies and workflows involved in making focus trees for Hearts of Iron IV. Featuring Drikus Kuiper (Content Designer) and Gabriel Blum (Content Designer).
- 15:00 – Making a Game out of Making a Game – What is the real difference between being a gamer and being an employee? What makes a game fun? What makes a job fun? Are there parallels? Join a game director and learn about what gets us motivated, how games do it and how we do things here at Paradox. Featuring Guido Schmidt (Game Director, Arctic Studio).
- 15:30 – The History of Clausewitz – Take a peek under the hood and see how our engine runs! Get an inside view of the core process of making Paradox games. Featuring John Wordsworth (Technical Director) and Mark Dickie (Engine Team Lead).
- 16:30 – Interactive Unit Design Workshop and Draw-Along Session – With the help of the crowd, the Planetfall art team will design a unit that actually gets added to the game! Join a fully interactive workshop where you can draw along and change our game forever! Featuring Age of Wonders: Planetfall team members Rich Burgess (Concept Artist), Oliver Titley (Concept Artist), Benny Arents (Game Designer), and Luis Ferreira (Game Designer).
- 17:30 – A Meaningful Dialogue – The disposition dialogue system and how we are building believable facial animations in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Featuring Russel Nelson (CTO, Hardsuit Labs), Luke Dodge (Art Director, Hardsuit Labs), and Andy Kipling (CEO, Hardsuit Labs).
- 18:00 – The Paradox Podcast – Live at PDXCON – A podcast about the business of video games. In this episode Shams is joined by a bunch of friends and enemies from other parts of the games industry who traveled to Berlin to hang out with us at PDXCON. Featuring Shams Jorjani (Chief Business Development Officer) and guests to be announced.
- 18:30 – Music in Video Games: Choosing the Right Tunes – How can you direct the listener to what you want to convey by choosing the right tunes? Through practical examples, Head of Music Tobias Gustafsson will take you through the process of making a game trailer from a musical perspective. Featuring Tobias Gustafsson (Head of Music, Paradox Interactive).
- 19:30 – Late Night On Main Street – What goes into building a part of Seattle into a game hub. Featuring Chris Brockett (Lead Level Designer), Russel Nelson (CTO), and Luke Dodge (Art Director).
- Tournament Stage (Twitch)
- 12:30 – TBA – Top secret event! Stay tuned for the big reveal!
- 14:00 – Stellaris: Ark of Ascension Clash
- 16:00 – Age of Wonders: Planetfall
- 18:00 – Prison Architect
- 19:30 – Battletech” Heavy Metal Stream
- 21:00 – Planetfall SciFi quiz – Are you up for the challenge? Grab a drink and join us!