High Score is back for 2026! First Speakers Announced!
High Score returns in 2026 for its landmark 10th edition, bringing leading figures from across music, sound design and video game development to Melbourne for two days exploring the creative and technical possibilities of game audio.
Presented by the Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO), Creative Victoria, venue partner ACMI, and a cornerstone event of Melbourne International Games Week, High Score takes place at ACMI on 3-4 October, with support from APRA AMCOS, Music Australia and FMOD.
Over the past decade, the event has established itself as APAC’s leading dedicated meeting point for the people shaping music and sound for games, from industry leaders to emerging practitioners and the next generation of game audio talent.
And for its 10th edition, High Score is bringing out some real talent.
Best known for shaping the distinctive sound worlds of Hollow Knight and its chart-busting sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, BAFTA-nominated Australian composer and sound designer Christopher Larkin brings his approach to immersive worldbuilding to High Score. His credits also include Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, with music and sound central to the way he creates atmosphere, establishes a sense of place and builds emotional depth.
Bringing blockbuster credentials and an experimental approach to the High Score program, Wilbert Roget II will explore the idea of “musical sound design” and how everyday recordings can be transformed into compelling elements of a game score. In a semi-moderated conversation featuring audio and video examples, the Helldivers 2 and Mortal Kombat composer will unpack his self-described approach as a “musical trash collector”, revealing how found sounds, field recordings and unexpected source material can be reshaped into distinctive musical textures.
Duncan Smith, Head of Music at Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, will take audiences behind the scenes of the score for Housemarque’s acclaimed PlayStation title Saros. His session, From Vision to Soundtrack: How the Score for Housemarque’s Saros Came to Life, traces the full journey from defining a game’s musical vision and finding the right composer, through recording, production and interactive implementation, to album release and marketing.
Together, the first three speakers span the breadth of contemporary game audio, from worldbuilding through music and sound, to scoring blockbuster franchises and the creative partnerships that take a AAA soundtrack from its first idea to the finished game. Last year’s event sold out, so don’t delay in getting tickets.
High Score, the Southern hemisphere's largest game-audio conference is held at ACMI, Fed Square, Melbourne on October 3rd and 4th and is a part of Melbourne International Games Week.
Travel Bursaries
Music Australia and the High Score team welcome the voice and experiences of game music fans from across Australia at our game audio conference on Oct 3-4, but recognise that cash flow can be a barrier to travel.
Our travel bursaries are now available with priority given to regional, remote and under-represented communities.
Applicants can apply for one of three levels of support:$500 (your home is less than 500km from Fed Square, Melbourne)
$1500 (your home is between 501km and 1500km from Fed Square, Melbourne)
$2000 (your home is over 1500km from Fed Square, Melbourne)
TIMELINE
EOI Open: 19 Aug 11am
EOI Close: 31 Aug 5pm
Advice to successful applicants: 2 Sep
Invoices must be received by 4 Sep
Payments: w/c 7 Sep
Funds can cover food, travel and accommodation. You must still be in possession of a valid High Score ticket to attend. To be eligible for a bursary you must reside in regional Victoria or in any other Australian state than Victoria. If you are successful in your application but fail to attend High Score, you agree to return all monies received to VMDO. Applications will be assessed on the benefit attendance will bring you as well equity and equality and all decisions are final.
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High Score is delivered as part of Melbourne International Games Week by the VMDO on behalf of Creative Victoria with support from venue partner ACMI and sponsors Music Australia, APRA AMCOS and FMOD