LEVEL UP KL 2026 marks the conference’s 12th edition, running October 14 to 16 at Connexion Conference & Event Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Here’s everything a US-based industry professional needs to know: dates, program structure, confirmed sponsors, and how to plan the trip. One quick note before we dive in: LEVEL UP KL (the Malaysian conference) has nothing to do with Level Up! Games, a defunct Philippine game publisher. We’ll clear up that confusion fully in the FAQ section below.
LEVEL UP KL 2026 Dates and Venue
LEVEL UP KL 2026 runs October 14 to 16, 2026, at the Connexion Conference & Event Centre (CCEC) in Kuala Lumpur, according to the. This marks the conference’s 12th edition, a genuinely long track record for a regional games industry event.
The event is organized by MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) in partnership with BES Production, and it carries an official endorsement from MATRADE, Malaysia’s trade promotion agency. That endorsement isn’t just ceremonial. Recent announcements confirm it unlocks MDG (Malaysia Digital Grant) support specifically for Malaysian exhibitors attending in 2026, a real financial incentive for local studios to book booth space.
What Happens at LEVEL UP KL: Program and Agenda
LEVEL UP KL’s program breaks down into four core pillars, each aimed at a different kind of attendee.
Industry Conference
The conference track brings talks, panels, and presentations from global industry leaders covering business opportunities, technical innovation, and emerging market trends. This is where publishers and studio heads share what’s actually working in game development right now.
Business Matching and B2B
LEVEL UP KL is part of the global MeetToMatch circuit, a structured B2B meeting system also used at major shows in Cologne, Tokyo, Bangkok, Shanghai, the Nordic region, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, all powered by Xsolla. That’s a serious signal of the event’s international standing. Attendees use MeetToMatch to schedule direct meetings with publishers and investors rather than relying on chance encounters on the show floor.
Exhibitor Floor and Talent Hub
Game studios and service providers showcase their work directly to attendees on the exhibitor floor. Alongside this, 2026 brings a genuinely new addition: the Talent Hub Career Lounge, a dedicated space offering career guidance, portfolio reviews, and networking for people entering the games industry.
LEVEL UP KL 2026 Sponsors and Industry Partners
Past sponsorship gives a good read on the event’s credibility. 2025 sponsors included Epic Games, Larian Studios, Double Eleven, and Virtuos, a genuinely strong lineup for a regional Southeast Asian conference.
2026 programming adds a hands-on Unreal Engine VFX workshop, presented by EFXCO Academy with instructor Hussin Khan, running alongside the main conference for attendees wanting technical, skill-building sessions rather than just talks.
Here’s a detail most event coverage misses entirely: LEVEL UP KL 2026 has its own Steam sale, running September 16 to October 17, 2026, according to. The sale features 72 participating titles from the Southeast Asian indie development scene, curated through the official LEVEL UP KL Steam curator page in partnership with GamesHQ. That’s a genuinely unique promotional extension most physical conferences don’t offer.
Planning Your Trip to LEVEL UP KL 2026 from the US
Getting to LEVEL UP KL means flying into Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), one of Southeast Asia’s major aviation hubs. Flight times from the US typically run long, often 20+ hours with at least one layover, so plan your travel days accordingly.
US passport holders can generally enter Malaysia visa-free for short business and tourism stays, though it’s worth confirming current entry requirements before booking, since policies can shift.
Registration for both general attendance and the Talent Hub Career Lounge runs through the official LEVEL UP KL registration portal. Given the conference’s growing international profile through the MeetToMatch network, booking early gives you the best shot at securing meaningful B2B meeting slots once the schedule opens.
FAQs
What is level up kl?
LEVEL UP KL is Southeast Asia’s premier annual game developers conference, organized by Malaysia’s MDEC in partnership with BES Production. It brings together developers, publishers, and investors through an industry conference, B2B business matching, an exhibitor floor, and a career-focused Talent Hub.
What happened to level up games?
Level Up! Games is a completely different company from LEVEL UP KL. It was a Philippine online game publisher, known for titles like Ragnarok Online and ROSE Online, founded in 2002. In 2014, Thailand’s Asiasoft Corporation fully acquired the company, and the Level Up! brand was phased out entirely in favor of Asiasoft’s PlayPark brand, according to.
Who owns level up games?
Before its 2014 acquisition, Level Up! Inc. was jointly owned by Level Up! International Holdings Pte. Ltd. (70%) and IP E-Game Ventures, Inc. (30%). Thailand-based Asiasoft Corporation (now known as Asphere Innovations PCL) bought out both stakes for a combined US$4.2 million, taking full ownership before retiring the brand.
Who is the richest game CEO?
Net worth figures for games industry executives vary widely by source and change frequently. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, is among the most commonly cited wealthy figures in the industry, largely due to his majority private ownership stake in Epic Games rather than a publicly traded salary. Exact figures should be treated as estimates rather than fixed facts, since privately held company valuations shift often.
Conclusion
LEVEL UP KL 2026 brings its 12th edition to Kuala Lumpur this October, backed by MDEC, endorsed by MATRADE, and connected to the global MeetToMatch B2B network. Between the conference talks, exhibitor floor, new Talent Hub, and its own Steam sale tie-in, it’s grown into a genuinely complete industry event. Just remember: it’s an entirely different entity from the old Philippine publisher Level Up! Games, which stopped existing under that name back in 2014.