We’ve hinted at it. We’ve teased it. Now it’s official.
The BSides Leeds 2026 theme is Game On.
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, no, we’re not turning into a gaming convention, and we’ll still be full to the brim with the best of our community delivering the top quality cyber and hacking talks and villages you come to expect.
“Game On” isn’t about just video games. It’s about play, competition, strategy, challenge, participation. It’s gamification and game theory. It’s quiz shows and board games. It’s CTFs, scavenger hunts, and yes, maybe even tiddlywinks. It’s deliberately broad, because the hacker mindset has always thrived on games.
The spark came at Las Vegas airport after Def Con. A few of us were talking about how much we’d enjoyed newer panel and quiz formats like “Feet Feud” and “Um, ACKtually,” hosted by Tib3rius. They didn’t just sit alongside the legendary Hacker Jeopardy that Lintile ran for years, they felt like a passing of the torch. A new generation embracing the late-night, audience-participation chaos that makes hacker conferences special.
That conversation led to a simple question: we’d had Lintile run Hacker Blockbusters at BSides Leeds back in 2018, so why not lean into that energy again, now with Tib3rius?
Very quickly, we found ourselves designing game shows with unrepeatable titles and questionable health-and-safety implications (“what do you mean we can’t give hackers darts?”). Meanwhile, the younger members of the team looked increasingly concerned at references to Patrick Moore, Samantha Janus, Wayne’s World, and Jim Bowen.
Then we got back to the UK and reviewed feedback from last year.
Within the first few comments:
- “Why didn’t you have the retro hacking/gaming village this year?”
- Suggestions to expand and improve the Scavenger Hunt.
- Disappointment that the CTF didn’t return.
The message was clear. Hackers love games, however you define them.
Competition. Collaboration. Curiosity. Creativity. That’s what makes this community tick.
So in 2026, we’re leaning into it.
Game On!
