Event Details

Summits Sessions
(Mon & Tues)

GDC Summits are deep dives into specific game dev disciplines or markets, designed to foster learning and connection among specific communities. Summit sessions provide actionable takeaways you can immediately incorporate into your career. Topics include Level Design, Art Direction, AI , UX and more. 

Pass Access: All Access, Summits, Audio (Audio Summit only), IGS (IGS Summit only)

Workshops

(Mon & Tues)

GDC Workshops are interactive full- or half-day sessions designed to teach skills and promote critical thinking that can be immediately applied to game development projects. Workshops can consist of lectures, hands-on exercises, and group discussions. New in 2024, GDC will host the Fair Play Workshop and Production Essentials Workshop, in addition to the annual Game Design Workshop, Storytelling Fundamentals Workshop and Climate Crisis Workshop.

Pass Access: All Access, Summits, Audio (Advocacy Workshop only), IGS (Advocacy Workshop only)

Core Concepts Sessions
(Weds–Fri)

The Core Concepts program focuses on six key pillars of game development: Audio, Business & Marketing, Design, Production & Team Leadership, Programming, and Visual Arts, along with specialty topics like the Classic Game Postmortem series and Advocacy Sessions. Core Concepts sessions cover tried-and-true techniques, important lessons learned, and present new ways of working and thinking about game development.

Pass Access: All Access, Core, Audio (Audio Sessions only)

Core Concepts Roundtables
(Weds–Fri)

60-minute interactive peer-to-peer discussions on open-ended topics facilitated by experienced moderators. Constructive controversy and debate are welcome. Roundtables have a limited capacity and attendance is first-come, first served.

Pass Access: All Access, Core, Audio (Audio Sessions only)

Independent Games Summit (IGS) Content
(Mon & Tues)

Hear from innovative indie game creators sharing key learnings in the Independent Games Summit. Attend lectures and postmortems presented by diverse voices, including many former and current Independent Games Festival finalists and winners.

Pass Access: All Access, Summits, IGS

Sponsored Content

(All Week)

Hear from leading game technology companies in sponsored sessions throughout the week to learn firsthand about their latest products, tools, services, and techniques.

Sponsor Development Summit and Next-Gen Tech Forum sessions are Monday and Tuesday. Sponsored Core Concepts, Partner Stage, and Industry Stage sessions are Wednesday through Friday. 

Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders

Advocacy Sessions
(All Week)

Address topics ranging from diversity to censorship to quality of life within the realm of social advocacy in the game industry. New in 2024 is the Fair Play Workshop, designed to focus on how developers can design for inclusive spaces, more resilient communities that repel or resist bad actors, promote prosocial play, and overcome other challenges related to designing or advocating for this work.  

Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders

Game Career Development Content
(Wed-Fri)

Discover strategies for pitching your game, effective communication, how to land an investor/publisher, business development, and how to build your career in the game development directly from industry experts. Attend sessions Wednesday – Friday, and the Game Career Seminar, happening Friday, designed for students and others interested in starting a game development career.

Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders

Attendees can request meetings with any fellow attendees through our event mobile app. Search other attendees by job title, professional interest, and other filters, then send them a meeting request with a proposed date, time, and location.

GDC will offer Speed Networking for on-site attendees. These will be one-hour sessions with attendees rotating around the room.

Join us in the GDC Expo Wednesday, March 20 from 5:00-6:00pm to mingle with exhibitors and sponsors and grab a free drink.

Meet the winners after the awards on Wednesday, March 20 for a networking opportunity from:

• 5:30-6:30pm- VIP Awards Reception 

• 6:30-8:30pm- Awards: IGF and GDCA
  

Expand your network and join leading companies in game development ready to provide solutions to your business challenges. Dedicated sponsor pages and meetings are available during all event hours on the official mobile app.

Pass Access: Available for all pass holders (Friday Only Expo Passes grant access to the GDC Expo on the Fri of the event)

Learn about innovative projects from emerging and independent developers and meet the people who created them. Visit the studio’s dedicated pages and don’t miss their game demo sessions!

Pass Access: Available for all pass holders (Friday Only Expo Passes grant access to the GDC Expo on the Fri of the event)

GDC Main Stage hosts sessions & talks from prominent industry leaders sharing their experiences around important game industry themes.

Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders

Celebrate the game industry at this vibrant two-part awards ceremony which kicks off with the IGF Awards, recognizing the best indie game developers, and follows up with the Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier accolades for peer recognition in the video game industry.

Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders