ATLANTA, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A recent survey conducted by the International Game Developers Association found that Black people hold only 5% of jobs within the gaming industry. Each year, Spelman College’s HBCU Game Jam introduces emerging Black talent to the gaming sector, which is expected to reach a global revenue of $300 billion by 2028, according to a report by PwC. This year, Spelman will welcome Historically Black College and University students from across the country for the third annual HBCU Game Jam from March 28 – 30, 2025.
Hosted by Spelman’s Innovation Lab, the HBCU Game Jam is a weekend-long, overnight hackathon for students to expand their coding and video game development skills and learn about career opportunities in the tech and gaming industries. For the first time since its start, the HBCU Game Jam will be planned entirely by Spelman students.
“We at Spelman Innovation are excited to champion our amazing HBCU game development community and continue to break barriers for what it means to be a game developer in the gaming industry,” said Jaycee Holmes, assistant professor of art and visual culture at Spelman. “I am especially proud of the leadership demonstrated by our student co-chairs and organizing committee, and I cannot wait for everyone to see the magic they’ve created.”
The HBCU Game Jam, hosted in collaboration with Zynga, Microsoft, Unity, CodeHouse and Boeing, will take place at the Robert W. Woodruff Library. Last year, over 120 students from six HBCUs participated in Game Jam, and approximately 50% of them had never made a video game before participating in the competition. To view a recap video of HBCU Game Jam, click here.
New this year, the hackathon will kick off on Friday, March 28, at 10 a.m. with the inaugural HBCU Game Jam Day Conference. The conference will feature workshops, seminars and an industry career fair for students to learn about game development and meet their fellow competitors. The 24-hour competition will officially begin on Saturday, March 29, at 10 a.m. and continue until Sunday, March 30, at the Woodruff Library. On Sunday, the participants will begin preparing for the Game Jam Expo, where they will present their games to the judges for the chance to win prizes.
In 2023, following the inaugural HBCU Game Jam competition, Spelman introduced a minor in game development and design to nurture student interest in the industry. As the top global leader in the education of women of African descent, Spelman continues to maintain its commitment to innovative curriculum and research.
For more information about 2025 HBCU Game Jam, please visit Spelman.edu.
- Spelman College HBCU Game Jam
- Spelman College HBCU Game Jam