French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for an international videogame festival to be hosted in France, declaring that "videogames are part of our culture." Revealed at the Lumiere Summit, the festival is pitched as a global showcase for creativity, innovation and the games industry. Macron cited technological shifts like AI and platform-driven distribution and signaled international collaboration — notably with South Korea. Concrete details on dates and format have yet to be announced.
Macron Declares "Videogames Are Part Of Our Culture" and Announces New International Gaming Festival
Credit: Getty Images - Photo by Henrique Campos / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to launch an international videogame festival in France, saying that "videogames are part of our culture" and belong to the nation's cultural heritage. The proposal was revealed during an address at the Lumiere Summit, a conference that brings together governments, creators and cultural institutions to discuss the future of cinema and the moving image.
Festival Aims To Celebrate Creativity And Industry
Macron framed the festival as a global event for creativity, innovation, gamers and the games industry. He described videogames as both a creative medium and an industry that merits celebration alongside cinema and other cultural forms. While he did not provide concrete dates or a detailed format, Macron emphasized the festival's role in promoting French game development on the world stage.
"I firmly believe that videogames are part of our culture," Macron said (Google translated). "Therefore, we will create an international videogame festival conceived from the outset as a major global event for creativity, innovation, gamers, and the industry."
Context And Collaboration
Although Macron did not name specific titles in his speech, many observers linked the announcement to the success of the 2025 French JRPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which sold millions of copies and won multiple awards — and which Macron has publicly praised on prior occasions. France's games scene also includes major studios such as Ubisoft and notable titles including Plague Tale, Rematch, Jusant, Chants of Sennaar, Sifu, Stray and the classic Another World.
Credit: Emmanuel Macron (Twitter)
Macron warned of "profound upheavals" across film, television, animation and videogames driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence and the growing influence of platforms. He said France will work with international partners — notably South Korea, mentioned during the Saint-Paul-de-Vence discussions — to forge alliances between creators, public and private actors, and global platforms to protect cultural diversity while encouraging innovation.
What Comes Next
France already hosts Paris Games Week, a major commercial showcase, but Macron's announcement hints at a festival more explicitly framed as a cultural and international exchange. Details on timing, location and format remain sparse. Fans and industry watchers are also eager to see what the award-winning developer Sandfall Interactive, the studio behind Clair Obscur, will announce next.
Credit: Getty Images — Photo by Henrique Campos / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images
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