Dispatch from Dubai: AI, Indies, and the Future of Game Dev

By Rudy, Co-Founder of Spawn Tools

Earlier this month, we had the chance to attend both the Dubai Gaming Expo and Token2049 side events, and I wanted to share a few reflections from the ground. It was energizing, eye-opening, and ultimately confirmed what we at Spawn Tools have believed all along: the future of game development is AI-assisted, creator-led, and rapidly going global.

Let’s jump in…

MENA’s Gaming Scene Is Heating Up

It’s clear the MENA region is investing heavily in gaming, and it shows. At the Expo, we connected with over 50 developers, many of whom are at various stages of development and experimentation. What stood out was the passion. So many of the people we spoke to are building their games at night, after long workdays, juggling families and full-time jobs. That level of commitment is truly inspiring.

Something interesting I noticed: around 80% of the developers we spoke with were already using AI tools in some capacity—mostly for image generation—but very few were using gaming-specialized tools. The few that had tested early 3D generation tools struggled with mobile/web optimization or low mesh quality.

That’s where Spawn really sparked interest: we’re building for exactly that use case—optimized, usable assets that don’t clog up your pipeline. How cool is that?

The team is already following up individually, and we’re super excited to onboard a mix of hobbyists and larger studios who’ve tested competitive tools and weren’t impressed. We look forward to building the most helpful AI gaming platform—together with their involvement.

Community, Connection, and a Shift Toward Utility

Beyond developers, we also spoke with publishers, event organizers, gaming marketers, and the wider ecosystem. It’s clear there’s a hunger for more efficient, scalable ways to build and grow.

Attending enabled new relationships that will lead to partnerships, marketing support, and even investment possibilities.

At Token2049, the mood was cautiously optimistic—which is a good thing. There’s still very real excitement for Web3, but the emphasis is shifting from hype to utility. People were genuinely impressed with Spawn Tools. Many were excited about our roadmap, especially our approach to generative agents and playable AI characters.

AI in Game Dev: Cautious Optimism Meets Massive Opportunity

I didn’t just want to focus on the positives—I want to be real with you. I also heard a few recurring concerns.

Larger studios, particularly those working with big IPs, are still hesitant about AI due to legal, brand, and IP risks. Some creative agencies are still working manually for this reason—slow, expensive, traditional. But for indies and smaller studios, that’s a massive opportunity: to move faster, cheaper, and smarter using tools like Spawn.

Democratizing game development is what we’re all about.

On the NPC front, some studios have started experimenting with AI-powered NPCs, but haven’t shipped them yet. Common issues:

Lack of context-awareness (e.g., medieval characters referencing modern history)
Latency concerns

There’s a need for offline-ready, context-aware NPC agents—something we’re paying close attention to at Spawn.

Team Wins, Too

On a personal note, it was the first time in quite a while that my Co-Founder, Zaid, and I had real time to connect away from the office. It gave us time to focus on strategy, set our focus for the next phase, and get excited about what’s coming.

Sometimes you need time away from the desk to do this.

The trip was a success across every front—product, partnerships, and people.

More soon—and to everyone we met, thanks for the energy and insights. We’re building this with and for you.

Thanks for reading,
Rudy