The Raising Good Gamers partnership brings together industry, researchers, and nonprofit experts to advance a growing movement around positive play in video games. One of the first outputs is a new white paper ‘Raising Good Gamers: What Families Need to Know About Video Games and Well-Being’, authored by Games for Change research director, Rachel Kowert. Drawing on new global research across 15 countries including the Middle East and seven languages, alongside a review of existing studies and interviews with parents and game developers, the paper provides evidence to support more informed and balanced conversations among families, educators, policymakers and industry.

Building on this research, Raising Good Gamers will deliver practical, accessible, family-facing tools and resources to schools and community youth organizations to support parents in engaging with video gaming more confidently and constructively. Developed by Games for Change chief programme officer Arana Shapiro, the materials – including workshops, conversation guides – are designed to help parents engage with video gaming alongside their children and support healthy gameplay. This includes grounding discussions about positive play in everyday practice, from respectful behavior and communication to community participation and shared values.

Following a successful pilot workshop in the U.S. in March, the roll-out of the program is planned for the U.S. and United Kingdom in September, with the ambition of broadening internationally covering the Middle East next year as part of a sustainable movement to help change the culture of video gaming for everyone. Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change, said in a statement, “For many parents, video games are a meaningful part of their children’s lives, but one they don’t always feel equipped to navigate. As gaming continues to evolve, families are increasingly looking for balanced, practical support.” Mathias Gredal Norvig, CEO of Sybo, and Jude Ower on the Good Game Podcast.

Source: Good Game Podcast. Pollack added, “Through this partnership and accompanying research, we’re bringing together data, behavioral science and the voices of families themselves to help address the questions parents have and give them the tools to engage with gaming in a more informed, confident and constructive way.” Danny Marti, Head of Public Affairs at Tencent, said in a statement, “Video games are an enriching and widely enjoyed part of modern life, yet public debate around games is too often shaped by narrow or incomplete narratives.” Marti added, “Raising Good Gamers reflects a belief that positive play is a shared responsibility, one that benefits from collaboration across industry, researchers, educators, policymakers, and families.

By grounding the conversation in evidence and practical experience, this partnership aims to support more informed decision-making and a more balanced understanding of the role video games play in young people’s lives.” The themes explored as part of the partnership are also reflected in a new episode of the Good Game Club podcast which will be released on 16 April 2026 at 8am BST, featuring Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change, and Danny Marti, Head of Public Affairs at Tencent. Hosted by Jude Ower and Mathias Nørvig, CEO of Sybo the episode explores the partnership and the case for more informed conversations around video games and healthy play.

Ower said in a message to GamesBeat, “The aim of the podcast is to shine a spotlight on the good things happening in the industry. And all the ways games can have a positive impact on society and the planet.” Ower added, “We started the podcast off the back of launching our book, Gaming for Good. We wanted to bring to life all the incredible interviews and stories we uncovered and to keep adding to them, as a book is a slice in time.” And she said, “Games are often misunderstood and siloed, but they are the biggest cultural megatrend of our time.

We believe by sharing these stories covering topics such as education and skills, health and wellbeing, accessibility, sustainability, social impact and many more areas, we can demystify games, gamers and gaming culture. Enabling the 60% who don’t play to better understand the benefits while inspiring the industry to be the best it can be. “ Tencent Games is proud to be a sponsor of the Games for Change Festival, taking place on July 21 to July 22, 2026, in New York City, where the full findings of the Raising Good Gamers white paper will