Games for Change Announces 2025 Special Award Winners

NEW YORK, June 3, 2025— Games for Change (G4C), the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing games and immersive media for social impact, announced the 2025 Special Award honorees for this year’s Festival. These awards recognize the exceptional contributions of individuals and organizations in the gaming industry who have made significant strides in driving positive change through their work. 

“For over 20 years, Games for Change has been convening the most passionate and innovative minds in the industry, who understand that our medium has a unique power to connect people around the world and inspire them to take action in their communities,” said Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change. “This year’s honorees show the many ways that games and immersive experiences can create impact, from groundbreaking research to community leadership to decades of work proving games can heal, teach, and unite us.”

The 2025 Special Award Winners: 

Vanguard Award: Dr. Rachel Kowert
The G4C Vanguard Award is given annually to a notable individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the gaming community. This year, Games for Change recognizes Dr. Rachel Kowert for her pioneering work at the intersection of psychology, gaming, and mental health. Through her research, writing, and public advocacy, she has helped reshape the narrative around games as tools for healing, empathy, and emotional growth. Her work with organizations like Take This, Discord, and others, combined with her commitment to science communication, has sparked critical conversations, opened doors for inclusive community building, and inspired countless others to think differently about the role games play in their lives.

Industry Leadership Award: PRELOADED
The G4C Industry Leadership Award recognizes companies doing exemplary social impact work within the games industry. Over the past 25 years, PRELOADED has left an indelible mark on the industry, becoming a leading example of the power and impact of independent game studios. Their innovative approach to creating meaningful, interactive experiences that blend education, culture, and social good, grounded in the principle of playing with purpose, has set a high standard for how games can be both entertaining and transformative. Through partnerships and collaborations, PRELOADED challenges others to expand the ways people connect, play, and engage with everything from historical sites to beloved virtual worlds.

G4C Giving Award: Amir Satvat
The G4C Giving Award recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals who make significant contributions through community initiatives, fundraising efforts, scholarships, and donations. Amir Satvat has been recognized for his transformative leadership in supporting the gaming community, particularly those affected by industry layoffs. His tireless commitment to connecting talented professionals with new opportunities has not only changed countless individual careers but has strengthened the entire gaming ecosystem during challenging times. Through resources, mentorship initiatives, inclusive community-building efforts, and advocacy, Satvat has demonstrated how the gaming industry can come together to be a force for economic resilience and positive social change.

Hall of Change: Asi Burak
The G4C Hall of Change Award celebrates an outstanding individual who has dedicated their career to advancing the field of impact games. Asi Burak has been recognized for his remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication to the field over the past two decades. As a past president of Games for Change and a longtime board member, Burak has empowered a global community of changemakers to grow and thrive. From his pioneering work on PeaceMaker—one of the earliest and most influential games to address complex global issues—to his leadership in transforming G4C into an internationally recognized movement, his impact is immeasurable. As an author, speaker, and mentor, he has been instrumental in ensuring that games are embraced as powerful tools for education, empathy, and social change. 

Indie Breakout Award: 1000xRESIST
The G4C Indie Breakout Award celebrates a studio’s first game that demonstrates outstanding innovation in bridging entertainment and commercial success with real-world impact. This year’s recipient is 1000xRESIST and sunset visitor 斜陽過客 for its profound exploration of diasporas, intergenerational trauma, and human connection, offering a personal examination of how memory and identity shape our understanding of belonging. Through innovative storytelling and thoughtful gameplay, 1000xRESIST exemplifies the power of games to bridge understanding across different lived experiences. 

These honorees, plus the G4C Game Award winners, will be showcased at this year’s Games for Change Award Ceremony at 6:30 PM ET on June 26th, hosted by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams and streamed live on Twitch for a global audience.

About Games for Change
Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.

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