Meet FIEA’s Newest Class: Cohort 23

August 24, 2026

ORLANDO, FL – A new group of aspiring game developers is ready to get started today! Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) at the University of Central Florida is excited to welcome 67 new programmers, artists and producers to its graduate-level Interactive Entertainment M.S. program this fall. These students make up Cohort 23 and are beginning their journey in game development at UCF Downtown in Orlando’s Creative Village.

Group photo of FIEA's Cohort 23 in the student cohort space

This year’s incoming class brings together students from 19 different undergraduate institutions, with just over half of the cohort (37 students) earning their undergraduate degrees from UCF. Many other students earned degrees at institutions including University of Florida, University of South Florida, Ringling College of Art & Design, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Fudan University, Full Sail University, Stetson University, Noroff University College, Savannah College of Art & Design, Karnavati University, and others. The group arrives at FIEA with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and creative perspectives, ready to collaborate, build games and develop the skills needed to launch careers across the interactive entertainment industry.

Financial support continues to be an important part of FIEA’s commitment to its students. Forty percent of Cohort 23 earned fellowships totaling $77,500, while three students received $7,500 total in scholarships from industry partners Electronic Arts and Iron Galaxy Studios. These awards help support talented students as they pursue their graduate degrees and prepare for careers in games and related technology fields.

Over the course of FIEA’s 16-month lock-step program, Cohort 23 will study and work across disciplines including 3D art, tech art, animation, tech design, level design, project management and programming. Students will collaborate in various combinations, simulating the teamwork and production environments they will encounter in the professional game industry. By the time they complete the program, they will have built games, developed their portfolios, and gained hands-on experience preparing them for careers in the video game, film, simulation and other technology industries.

We’re thrilled to have Cohort 23 on board and can’t wait to see where their creativity, curiosity and teamwork take them. The next four semesters will bring plenty of challenges, plenty of learning and, of course, plenty of games. Welcome to FIEA, Cohort 23!