IGDA Helsinki November Meetup
IGDA Helsinki Presents:
November Meetup with Next Games, A Netflix Games Studio
10.11.2026
Winter is coming… As is our next Meetup! So join us for our IGDA Helsinki November Meetup, and beat the cold weather with the help of Next Games, A Netflix Games Studio!
📣 Note: No pre-registration is required to join our Meetup.
WHAT:
IGDA Helsinki November Meetup with Next Games, A Netflix Games Studio
WHEN:
Tuesday 10.11
Doors open at 17
Program starts at 17:45
WHERE:
Maxine, Kamppi shopping center, 6th floor (Elevators can be found on the E-floor, between Jungle Juice Bar and Rax). Note that Maxine is a 18+ venue, hence you must be 18+ years of age to attend.
PROGRAM:
Intro and Opening Words by Studio Operations Director Juha Matikainen.
“Zero Installs, Infinite Surfaces: Web Tech In Netflix Games” by Principal Software Architect Matias Ärje.
Matias will discuss how Netflix utilizes web technologies in their game portfolio, where web tech fits especially well and how it compares to traditional game engines.
🕹️ Wanna showcase your game at our Demo Corner and get some valuable feedback? Sign up here: https://forms.gle/CpwsWvna11kgq95g7 The deadline for signups is November 6th at 23:59! Please note, you will need to submit a 10 - 30s gameplay video!
💬 Our Chat Corner will be open and ready for chatting!
Chat Corner AMA at 19 - 20 with Frank Radecki
November’s AMA Guest is Remedy Entertainment’s Lighting Artist Frank Radecki. His AMA topics are lighting and environment art, artist’s career development, Unreal Engine and gamedev education.
🗣️ Interested in practicing and improving your Finnish or Swedish language skills by chatting with native-speaking game industry professionals? Join the "Let’s speak in Finnish/Swedish" - Café Lingua between 17-17.45!
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Intro and Opening Words by Studio Operations Director Juha Matikainen from Next Games, a Netflix Game Studio.
“Zero Installs, Infinite Surfaces: Web Tech In Netflix Games” by Principal Software Architect Matias Ärje.
Matias will discuss how Netflix utilizes web technologies in their game portfolio, where web tech fits especially well and how it compares to traditional game engines.
Juha Matikainen, Studio Operations Director
Juha leads studio operations at Next Games, overseeing production, QA, finance, and business operations. With a leadership background spanning indie studios and co-founding ventures, Juha has been part of Next Games’ leadership team since 2021, seeing the studio through its acquisition by Netflix in 2022. His goal is to build frameworks and remove operational hurdles, to empower development teams to focus on creating great games.
Matias Ärje, Principal Software Architect
Matias helps teams navigate complex technological environments and turn wild ideas into reality. With more than two decades in software and game development, his experience spans across a wide range of technologies, with a particular strength in identifying how they can be applied in new and unexpected contexts. He recently designed the architecture of Netflix Puzzled, which in addition to the mobile app is the first game available on Netflix Tudum and in the Netflix streaming app.
Next Games, a Netflix Game Studio, creates gaming experiences that bring friends and family together. As part of Netflix, the studio is shaping the future of global living room entertainment, driven by a deep legacy in the Finnish game development industry. With all games included with a Netflix membership and featuring no in-app purchases, Next Games focuses fully on quality, fun, and expanding on fan-favorite Netflix shows and films.
Chat Corner AMA at 19 - 20 with Frank Radecki
Frank is a lighting artist at Remedy Entertainment, where he worked on recently released CONTROL Resonant. He started his career in indie games as a 2D/concept artist and later switched to level art with further specialization in lighting on ‘Silent Hill 2’ remake and ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’. After hours, he’s also a Game Art mentor for various institutes and an academic teacher in Poland, covering topics related to environment art and Unreal Engine.
AMA topics: lighting and environment art, artist’s career development, Unreal Engine, gamedev education
ACCESSIBILITY:
At IGDA Helsinki we strive for making our events accessible for everyone. We kindly ask all attendees to stay away from using strong perfumes or similar fragrances. The Meetups can be crowded at times, meaning that the sound volume can also become rather loud.
Maxine is wheelchair accessible. There's a few steps at the entrance, for that please ask security at the cloakroom for a ramp. Accessible toilet can be found at the back of the space.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding any type of accessibility of our Meetups, then please contact helsinki@igda.fi and we will do our best to assist you. We also have an accessibility contact present at the Meetup until 19:00. They can be found near the entrance and are ready to assist with any accessibility-related matters!
Reminder that IGDA Meetups use the THE FINNISH GAME INDUSTRY Code of Conduct!



























