Yasmina Fadel
Maximalist
Fresh from launching Maximalist, Yasmina is the co-director of an emerging indie games and XR co-development company based in York.
Before Maximalist, Yasmina was a Producer at Fruity Systems, working on story-rich VR games, including the award-winning Meta Quest title, Space Salvage.
Like many others in the games industry, Yasmina was affected by the waves of redundancies that have swept the sector since 2024. Recognizing this as an opportunity for change Yasmina, along with two former colleagues from Fruity Systems, founded Maximalist Ltd to help drive that change and explore what it takes to create sustainable jobs in the industry.
By sharing her story, she hopes to reinforce the passion and fervor not only for making games but also for contributing to a supportive game development community.
Yasmina Fadel is speaking at the following session/s
Phoenix Indies: Rising from Redundancy
The Phoenix Indies Roundtable brings together founders of indie studios that emerged from industry-wide redundancies. This session tackles the big question: What happens after layoffs?
With 46% of game industry workers affected by company restructures and 10% losing their jobs, starting an indie studio has never been more tempting. A common setback for those looking to take the leap is that the skills needed to create great games don’t always translate into running a business. This roundtable discussion sheds light on the process of starting an indie studio, the common challenges, and the lessons learned along the way—making the journey feel less daunting.
Yasmina shares her experience co-founding Maximalist in an open discussion that guides attendees toward resources to build confidence and gain the tools necessary to create a new generation of game studios. Indie development isn’t just about survival—it’s about building something better.
Session Takeaway
- How to turn frustration into opportunities for creativity and positive change
- Indie Studio 101: A practical guide to launching your own studio
- New funding models, tools, and resources that make indie success more possible than ever
Session speakers
