ACMI + RMIT Games Prize: Meet This Year’s Winner

ACMI + RMIT Games Prize: Meet This Year’s Winner

Ezra Mitchell has been announced as the 2025–26 ACMI + RMIT Games Prize winner for their work on Heart Beater.

Christine Evely, Head of Education and Public Programs, ACMI says "Ezra's work on Heart Beater is a brilliant example of what we look for in this prize - someone who brings genuine creative vision alongside real technical craft. The way they've built this world, blending 3D environments with 2D characters, shows an instinct for storytelling that's immediately captivating. It's a testament to the incredible emerging talent coming through the Australian games sector, and we're really excited to see where they take it."

We spoke to Ezra about their inspiration, what it means to receive the prize and how their time at RMIT has shaped their next steps.

How does it feel to be the 2026 ACMI + RMIT Games Prize winner?

It feels incredibly surreal, just unbelievable. It’s such a real opportunity to work with, and around, people in the industry and I feel so lucky to be given such a chance.

Can you describe your winning game for us?

Heart Beater is a colourful, gaudy, ‘girly-pop core’, ‘beat-em-up’ game where you play as Cupid-of-the-Month at the Love Company! You must use your hammer to defend your title from jealous co-workers to secure your position as the best Cupid. I hope it’s a light and fun experience for players. 

Tell us a bit about your role in the development process.

I was responsible for the environmental design, 3D modelling and music, but every part of the creative process was really a team effort. This was my first time producing music for a project, and not only did it push me out of my comfort zone, but it also helped me make that jump into something I’ve been passionate about but never had the courage to do.

What inspired this project?

We took notes from River City Girls and Yakuza for the gameplay and gushed over the aesthetics and style of Unbeatable and Don’t Stop Girlypop. We loved the mix of beautiful and fluid 2D animation and stylised 3D environment and the over-the-top cutesy pink aesthetics.

How did your time at RMIT influence this project and prepare you for working in the games and creative industries?

The RMIT Bachelor of Design (Games) and especially the capstone project gave me a glimpse into working in the indie games industry. From the first pitch of Heart Beater to the grad show and ACMI showcase, it gave us real experience with pitching our game to an audience and working towards a complete project instead of just developing individual skills.

I found my love for 3D modelling and environment design through the classes provided by the course, and I’ve had my creative practice and workflow influenced by every teacher and mentor I’ve had, including mentors Daniel and Chantel, my world building teachers, Christian and Terry, as well as my concept art teacher Jack.

What are you planning to do next, and how do you see this prize helping you get there?

I know that working in the ACMI X space and being surrounded by other creative people will be an incredible experience and help me make more connections within the industry. I’m focusing on making Heart Beater into a more complete experience. I’m just so excited for what the future holds.

For Deb Polson, Director, Centre of Digital Ecosystems (CODE) at RMIT, the prize shows the strength of RMIT’s collaboration with industry. As Deb says, “The ACMI + RMIT Games Prize reflects how tightly connected RMIT is to the real creative ecosystem and industry our students will enter. Partnering with a cultural leader like ACMI allows us to highlight the originality, technical skill, and storytelling power of our students’ work in a truly professional context. It is clear from this year’s entries that RMIT games graduates are not just job ready - they are poised to be leaders and innovators in the field and shape the future of games in Australia.”

As Christine Evely notes, "Seven years since its launch, the ACMI + RMIT Games Prize continues to do exactly what it was designed to do: find the most compelling emerging voices in Australian games and give them a meaningful platform at the start of their careers. ACMI and RMIT share a genuine, long-term commitment to that and every year, the calibre of work we see through this prize reaffirms why it matters."

 

For Ezra Mitchell that future starts with Heart Beater - and the ACMI + RMIT Games Prize is just the beginning. 

02 July 2026

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02 July 2026

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