LOS ANGELES (April 9, 2026) – USC Games, the top-ranked collegiate game design program, will kick off its 10th anniversary edition of the USC Games Expo with a keynote panel discussion with John Riccitiello, the former CEO of Unity Technologies and Electronic Arts; and Frank D. Gibeau, the President of Zynga. Riccitiello and Gibeau, considered pioneers in developing the global games industry, have both established endowed chairs at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. USC Games is a joint program of the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) and the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California. Riccitiello also sits on SCA’s Board of Councilors.
Jim Huntley, the Associate Professor in the Interactive Media & Games Division, specializing in games marketing and publishing, will be the chairholder of the Frank D. Gibeau Endowed Chair. SCA has 36 endowed chairs that provide funding for the academic divisions of the faculty members who serve as chairholders.
The 10th annual USC Games Expo will take place on May 12, 2026 at 4PM PST at the USC School of Cinematic Arts campus. Riccitiello and Gibeau lead off the Advanced Games Project (AGP) Spotlight Show, held at Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre with a live stream on Twitch and the USC Games Expo website. Attendees will have the chance to play more than sixty games created by students enrolled in various USC Games classes, in a carnival-like atmosphere supported byWemade, the global game developer and publisher behind the Legend of Mir series and a leader in MMORPG and blockchain gaming. Attendees can also experience interactive installations from USC’s newly established Themed Entertainment program, check out an esports tournament, and preview new titles developed in Games as a Service and Live Operations (GLO), a first-of-its-kind class that focuses on the “live” component of game development, using PUBG MOBILE’s World of Wonder platform.
This year’s show features 10 titles created in USC Games’ flagship AGP course, in which students create games in a professional studio atmosphere. They pitch, develop, refine, and launch their original games as the culminating project of the USC Games curriculum. More information on the AGP titles can be found here.
“The USC Games Expo is all about the joy making and playing games,” says Danny Bilson, the Director of USC Games, who will also be installed as the John Riccitiello Chair in Games and Interactive Media at the event. “This is where our students get to show off their creations to the industry professionals they want to work with, and where the professionals get a glimpse into the innovations the next generation is working on. In addition to being a coming out party for our graduating students, the Expo is truly a celebration of all things gaming.”
“At Wemade, we believe the future of gaming is shaped by bold ideas and the next generation of creators,” says Kwan-Ho Park, Chairman & CEO of Wemade. “By supporting the USC Games Expo, we are investing in student developers who are pushing boundaries, redefining what’s possible in interactive storytelling and gameplay, and shaping the future of the games industry.”
AGP Spotlight Show Keynote Panelists:
John Riccitiello – Former CEO of Unity Technologies and Electronic Arts
John Riccitiello is a longtime leader in the video game industry, known for shaping some of the most influential gaming companies in the world. He served as CEO of Unity Technologies, taking the company public and guiding the platform’s growth as the industry standard for real-time 3D development, and previously led Electronic Arts as CEO, overseeing major franchises across console, PC, and mobile.
Frank D. Gibeau – President, Zynga
Frank Gibeau’s career is defined by a lifelong love of games and a commitment to leading companies where people are empowered to pursue their creative ambitions. A 30-year industry veteran, Frank is an expert in the mobile, PC, and console markets. As CEO of Zynga, he orchestrated a historic turnaround and rapid growth phase that led to a pivotal combination with Take-Two Interactive in 2022. Previously, Frank spent two decades at EA leading iconic franchises like The Sims, EA SPORTS, Need for Speed, and Battlefield.
