For eight years, Ubisoft Toronto has worked with some of the best game development programs at post-secondary institutions across Ontario on Ubisoft Toronto NEXT, a unique challenge designed to foster new voices in the video game industry. As an annual competition, NEXT is built to showcase local student talent and help kick-start their careers in the industry. Since it started in 2013, the program has awarded apprenticeships in 3D art, animation, concept art, level design, programming, technical art, and user interface art, and has sparked the careers of more than 60 students.
Above all, by resembling real-world scenarios, discipline-specific NEXT challenges give industry newcomers a taste of what they can expect working in a AAA studio as they develop games enjoyed by players all over the world.
New this year is the division of the Animation category into two streams — Cinematic and Gameplay — to reflect the real-life production teams more accurately. After an extensive review of nearly 200 submissions, we are excited to share the 28 students from 11 different schools who have made it to the final stage.
Introducing the 2021 Ubisoft Toronto NEXT finalists
Concept Art:
Connor Lucas – Sheridan College
Patricia Pria – George Brown College
Pengwei Deng – George Brown College
Sergi Iranzo – Max the Mutt College
3D Art:
Andy Melo – Ontario Tech University
Emily Choo – George Brown College
Kieran Legros – Seneca College
Maria Kniazieva – Centennial College
Melisa Cetinalp – George Brown College
Technical Art:
Jairo Alzate Bustamante – Humber College
Jessica Le – Ontario Tech University
Robert Banhegyi – Humber College
Yuan Chen – Western University
Cinematic Animation:
Martin Angeles – Seneca College
Yourim Kim – Centennial College
Yui Chen – Sheridan College
Gameplay Animation:
Gursahaj Grewal – George Brown College
John Carpino – George Brown College
Lavio Ribeiro Fidelis Neto – Mohawk College
Michael Chan – Ontario Tech University
Level Design:
Brandon Danby – George Brown College
David de la Peña Frigolet – Sheridan College
Carsten Booth – Sheridan College
Programming:
Alexander Cherkaski – University of Toronto
Hamidreza Khourinia – Algonquin College
Lei Li – Sheridan College
Mathew Kostrzewa – Ontario Tech University
Rob Savaglio – Ontario Tech University
Congratulations to this year’s finalists!
Looking forward to the awards ceremony? Tune in to our livestream on Thursday, May 13 at 5 PM to see the culmination of the hard work and brilliant ideas exhibited by this year’s contestants – and celebrate the future of the industry in Ontario!
Ubisoft Toronto NEXT: More Info
Ubisoft Toronto NEXT is an annual competition designed to display the talent of video game development students in Ontario, and to kickstart their careers in the industry. With paid apprenticeships in hand, winners of each category receive the opportunity to learn from top talent and further hone their skills.
