by It was held in Trebinje on September 25 and 26, 2025 Mediterranean Gaming Festival, one of the largest and most significant events dedicated to gaming and esports in the region, which brought together leading experts, esports professionals, content creators and representatives of institutions.
The festival opened with welcoming speeches by the Mayor of Trebinje. Mirko Ćurić, president of the Esport Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ante Šaravanje i Denis Šulić, Minister of Trade and Tourism of the Republic of Srpska. Šaravanja was on this occasion greeted all visitors to the festival and thanked the municipality, the mayor and everyone who supported the organization of the event.
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Special merits for holding the festival go to i To Goran Kuzmić, the founder of the eAdriatic League and the general secretary of the Esport Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose effort and engagement was crucial in the realization of this international event in Trebinje.
The Balkans are no longer an observer
Speaking at the opening of the program, he also Filip Šoć, president of the Electronic Sports Association of Montenegro and founder of the Montenegro Future Festival. He emphasized that the Balkans are increasingly visible on the map of the world gaming industry:
"The Balkans are opening up more and more to the gaming industry because we have more and more conferences, tournaments and festivals. The development sector is also growing, the Esports industry is growing, and so is the wider gaming scene. So, the Balkans is no longer a passive observer, but an active participant in the fastest growing industry in the world," said Šoć.
He placed special emphasis on phygital i.e. a combination of eSports and physical sports, as an innovative format that destroys stereotypes about gamers and opens up space for the region to become a leader in this field.
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Novska as an example
He also spoke at the festival Domagoj Crnkovic, representative PISMO incubator from Novska, a city that is already recognized as the center of the gaming industry in Croatia. Crnković presented the way in which the PISMO incubator through educational programs and support for startups develops a new generation of gaming experts and entrepreneurs.
He also spoke about the significance of Novska Mario Celan, Director Educatorium, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Center for Space and Innovative Technologies, on one of the panels on the second day of the festival, emphasizing that the success of the PISMO incubator shows how investment in infrastructure and education can turn a local community into an internationally recognized hub for the industry of the future.
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Women in gaming and creative industries
One of the more important panels at the festival was dedicated to women in gaming and creative industries.
A special role in the realization of the festival was played by Sanja Miovcic, executive director of the Impakt Investment Foundation, who was i moderator of this panel. Her contribution to the organization, but also to leading the discussion, significantly contributed to the panel emphasizing the key messages of Fr representation of women, their role as role models and opportunities for their development in industry.
The message was clear – gender equality is not only a matter of fairness, but also an important driver of innovation and progress in gaming.
Education through esports
The second day of the festival was followed by keynote lecture by Milan Lalić, NASEF educator, representative of SESCG and founder of the portal gamerslife.me.
Lalic pointed out that Gaming and esports should be seen as a tool, not just entertainment., highlighting the enormous potential of gamification. According to him, only playing develops critical thinking, teamwork and a sense of community.
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He reminded that NASEF today connects tens of thousands of students in more than 70 countries, offering educational programs and courses that encourage the development of STEM skills and new career opportunities through esports.
"Esports is not a goal in itself, but a means for young people to develop knowledge, skills and self-confidence," said Lalić.
His work on the portal gamerslife.me additionally confirms the dedication to the development of the gaming community through information, education and promotion of regional projects.
Players must be protected like Olympians
He also sent a strong message Boban Totovski, Secretary General of the International Esports Federation (IESF). He recalled the path that the IESF has traveled - from humble beginnings to today's gathering organization 150 members worldwide – and emphasized that the next step improving player status.
"If a player represents his national team at world competitions and wins a medal, it must have real weight - both financial and social. Such successes should be accompanied by awards, state support and the possibility that, at the end of their career, these esports players have a secure existence, just like the Olympians", said Totovski.
Trebinje - a new point on the esports map
During the festival, discussions were held about the future of the gaming industry, the development of creative sectors, female leadership in gaming and the economic potential that gaming brings to the region. They were a special part of the program networking and visits to cultural and historical locations in Trebinje, which introduced guests to local tradition and gastronomy.
The Mediterranean Gaming Festival showed that Trebinje can become a new regional destination for gaming and creative industries.
