Two alumni from York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) Digital Media program have won top prizes in the highly competitive Ubisoft Toronto NEXT Challenge, a major competition that helps launch Ontario’s next wave of game developers.
Alexandro Di Nunzio (MA ‘24) took home the top prize in the Technical Art category while Reyhan Ismail (BA ‘24) took the top spot in Visual Effects (VFX) - a brand-new addition to the competition this year.
Now in its 12th year, the Ubisoft Toronto NEXT Challenge provides students and recent graduates from across Ontario with hands-on experience and the chance to land an internship at one of Canada’s leading AAA game studios. With over 300 applicants, the competition continues to grow as a key stepping stone into the gaming industry.
In the VFX category, Ismail impressed the judges with a cinematic environment that integrated electrifying fire and lightning effects. With a strong composition, shot planning and compelling visual storytelling, his submission pushed creative boundaries with technical mastery.
In the Technical Art category, Di Nunzio’s winning design was a diorama of a recently abandoned campsite, created using a custom hydraulic erosion simulation and a suite of shader tools to generate adaptive terrain. He also built a scattering tool to populate the scene, showcasing both technical precision and creative flexibility.
“Technical Art isn't just about making a visually impressive 3D scene - it's about building efficient tools and systems that are easy for other artists to use and flexible enough to adapt to different assets or situations,” says Di Nunzio.
He credits the Digital Media program with giving him the foundation to build those tools from the ground up. “I felt that creating streamlined systems within the game engine itself would help me stand out from the other competitors, which is something I could not have done without a strong programming background.”
Associate Professor of Computational Arts at AMPD, Yifat Shaik, observes just how well the competition aligns with the program’s strengths. Offered jointly by AMPD’s Computational Arts and Lassonde’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments, the program gives students a rare combination of creative and technical training.
“The Digital Media program is unique among game‑focused programs because it’s jointly offered with Computer Science,” says Shaik. “This collaboration gives our students an art education and the coding skills that allow them to compete in the tech industry.”
For opportunities like Ubisoft NEXT, students sharpen those strengths even further, becoming exceptional technical artists, VFX specialists and game programmers. Exactly the roles big studios such as Ubisoft are eager to fill. “These positions are in high demand, and skilled game developers are rare because they must master both art and code,” she adds.
This year’s wins spotlight the competitive edge of York University’s Digital Media program, where students explore the intersections of art, design and emerging technologies in ways that set them apart.
Learn More
To learn more about Di Nunzio’s submission, visit his website.
To learn more about Reyhan Ismail’s work, visit Ubisoft Toronto’s website.