Melbourne’s Freeplay, the longest-running independent games festival in Australia, may not continue beyond 2026 as organisers have confirmed it no longer has ongoing funding.
In a blog post pinned to the festival’s website, organisers stated that while Freeplay had been granted a promising two years of funding in 2023, allowing them to hire part-time co-directors to lead planning, this has not been extended.
Freeplay festival’s uncertain future – quick links
Why Freeplay 2026 may be the curtain call
In 2025, Freeplay reportedly applied to Creative Victoria’s Creative Enterprises Program and were unsuccessful. This now means the organisation does not have funding to continue, and it has claimed there are no other relevant and available opportunities for the event on the horizon.
As this means it’s unable to continue paying its co-directors a salary, they have wrapped up their duties. The festival is now running with a volunteer Board while plans for 2026 coalesce slowly. At this stage, it’s unclear what this year’s show will look like – and the Board has suggested it could be the festival’s last year in operation.
‘We’re disappointed in the outcome and what it implies about how games are currently being prioritised by the Victorian Government,’ the team said.
As previously reported by ArtsHub, Creative Victoria’s Creative Enterprise Program has shrunk since the last major funding round, with just 81 organisations supported in 2026, down from 93. Freeplay has pointed out that none of the organisations supported are solely focused on video games.
‘This serves as a clear reminder,’ the team said. ‘Freeplay’s original purpose – championing the value of games as an artistic medium – remains relevant. Games are vital to the creative and cultural fabric of Australia and Freeplay has been an unwavering champion of the freakier side of games for 20 years – a home for the experimental, the weird, the heartfelt.’
What’s next for Freeplay
The team has expressed great interest in continuing Freeplay for decades to come – but a lack of major funding is making the task feel ‘increasingly impossible,’ they said.
‘We are at a crossroads, considering what this means for Freeplay’s future. Freeplay has been a cornerstone of the Australian games community for over 20 years, and if its time is up, we refuse to let it disappear without a bang.’
Planning continues for 2026 events, and the board is currently ‘considering’ what will follow. To help determine a path forward, it has called on the local game developer community for their input, to ensure the remaining resources can deliver worthy events, and a program that contributes ‘meaningfully to Australia’s artistic and experimental gamemaking community’.
Those with valuable input to share are encouraged to submit their suggestions to the Freeplay team, as it looks to an uncertain future.
Also on ScreenHub: All the big Australian and New Zealand-made video games we’re excited for in 2026
Australian and New Zealand-based game developers make incredible video games. Year after year, this is confirmed again and again. In 2025, Team Cherry held the torch with Hollow Knight: Silksong. Powerhoof delivered with The Drifter (ScreenHub‘s overall Game of the Year). We also got the excellent, creative, and entirely wonderful Letters to Arralla, Misc. A Tiny Tale, Cast n Chill, Mars First Logistics, Carmen Sandiego, and more.
So far, 2026 is shaping up to be an even bigger year, with a starry array of new video games planned for launch this year. Teams across Australia and New Zealand are currently working hard on a variety of new experiences, and we’re so excited to see what they bring in the months ahead.
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