Xsolla is back in Helsinki for Pocket Gamer Connects with two sessions on D2C and regulation
October 16, 2026•3 min
Some conferences are worth returning to because of the people in the room. Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics is one of them. Xsolla is excited to return to Helsinki from October 20 to 21, 2026, at Wanha Satama, for two days of conversations with the studios, publishers, and investors shaping the Nordic video games industry and beyond.
A familiar city, a broader stage
The event, previously known as PGC Helsinki, returns under a new name and with a broader regional remit as part of Finnish Games Week. More than 1,500 professionals are expected, learning from over 150 speakers across multiple tracks covering monetization, funding, AI, and the latest development trends. For a company that spends its days working with game teams on how they sell, get paid, and keep players, it's exactly the right room to be in.
Winning the player relationship through D2C
Xsolla will join Reaktor for a moderated panel, "Winning the Player Relationship Through D2C," on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 11:10 AM - 11:50 AM. The 40-minute session, including 10 minutes of audience Q&A, looks at a question more studios are asking: when a platform sits between a video game and its players, who really owns that relationship?
Direct-to-consumer commerce gives developers a different answer. Webstores and direct payments put studios closer to their players, with more control over pricing, promotions, and the experience around every purchase. The panel will dig into what that shift looks like in practice, and what teams should consider before making the move.
The rulebook is being rewritten: building a direct-to-consumer strategy that lasts
Ola Dokun, VP of Strategic Insights & Market Intelligence, Global Enterprise at Xsolla, will also take part in a session on building a direct-to-consumer strategy that lasts. Changing rules on payments, platform fees, consumer protection, and distribution are reshaping how video games reach players and how studios earn from them. As a merchant of record across 200+ geographies, Xsolla sees how those rules differ by market, and Dokun will share that perspective alongside fellow panelists.
The session will take place on Tuesday, October 20, at 11:50 AM. Further details on the session and its participants will follow as they are confirmed.
Meet the team
If you're heading to Helsinki, come and find us:
- Danhua Wu, VP of Business Development, Nordic
- Ola Dokun, VP of Strategic Insights & Market Intelligence, Global Enterprise
- Inês Ramalho, Country Manager, Southern Europe
- Joshua Naylor, Director, Developer Relations
- Hayden Killinger, Developer Evangelist - Integrations
- Ivan Martinez, Developer Evangelist - Community
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