University of Toronto computer science students showcased their creativity, technical and collaborative skills at the 2026 Level Up Showcase.

Held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, the annual showcase brought together more than 3,000 attendees to experience original games created by students across Ontario. This year’s event featured 160 teams from 25 colleges and universities, with 150 industry professionals from 40 companies serving as judges.

Students from CSC404: Video Game Design, taught by instructor Elias Adum and Professor Steve Engels, represented U of T strongly at the competition. Many of these projects were developed through interdisciplinary collaboration across computer science and music.

Level Up began in 2011 as a small end-of-term exhibition and has since grown into a province-wide event, offering students the opportunity to present their work to industry professionals, alumni and the public. The showcase attracts support from leading game studios and technology companies, including Zynga, AMD, Ubisoft and Sledgehammer Games.

This year's showcase drew special attention, with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, Stan Cho, in attendance.

U of T computer science students took home four awards at the 2026 Level Up Showcase: