Festival Updates

What Changed:

• GDC is now the Festival of Gaming: a five-day experience that extends beyond the Moscone halls and brings learning, connection, and celebration together.
• The pass structure has been simplified. Fewer tiers, clearer value, and full access built around how the industry works today.
• The conference agenda has been unified. No more siloed All Access/Core/Summits pathways. One program, one ecosystem, all five days.
• New session formats (i.e., fireside chats, forums, keynotes, and more) designed for more interdisciplinary conversations and audience engagement, creating real connection and networking in the room.
• The Expo Floor has been rebuilt as the Festival Hall with five themed neighborhoods, each with its own stage, lounge, and interactive experiences to make exploration easier and more meaningful.
• Networking has expanded with informal meetups to structured formats, plus GamePlan, the new facilitated 1:1 meetings program for high-intent connections, accessible with a Game Changer Pass.
• Luminaries Speaker Series: Big-picture, executive-level sessions that explore the future of the games industry: emerging platforms, transformative technologies, global shifts, cultural trends, IP ecosystems, and big-picture strategy. Exclusive to Game Changer Pass holders.
• Free childcare for children 3 months and up, so caregivers don’t have to choose between being at GDC and being with their family.
• GDC Nights now runs Monday-Thursday! Four official nights to celebrate the industry, not scramble for plans:
  • Monday: Opening Night Social Mixer – the big-tent welcome where you find your people for the week.
  • Tuesday: Developers’ Concert in a primetime slot – game music and special guests on a proper stage.
  • Wednesday: Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards – indie ingenuity and student standouts in the spotlight.
  • Thursday: Games Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) – the craft saluting the year’s best in design, narrative, visual art, audio, and innovation.

What didn't change:

• Deep, technical, developer-trusted sessions. The rigorous, real-world content that has defined GDC for decades is still the backbone of the week.
• Peer-reviewed talks from experts across the industry, still vetted by your peers and crafted by people who do the work every day.
• Moscone Center as home base – the reliable, centralized campus that keeps the whole industry connected in one place.
• Celebrating the industry via Awards. The IGF Awards and GDCA remain the nights where the community recognizes its own.
• The culture, craft, and community you come back for. GDC is still built for the B2B games industry and the people who make games happen.
• Conference Associates to help you navigate the week with clarity and ease.
• Yerba Buena Gardens as a meet-up hub! GDC continues to secure this space from the City of San Francisco so you always have an open, reliable place for lunches, hangs, and impromptu meetings.
• 750+ scholarship passes each year, distributed through community partners to keep GDC accessible to emerging and underrepresented talent.
• Student Day on Friday – a dedicated gateway for local students to learn how to break into the industry.
• Health & safety as a priority. The GDC hotline, Code of Conduct, and on-site safety measures remain in place to protect the community.
• GDC Encounters – our version of speed networking, still there to help you meet new collaborators quickly.
• Designated meeting locations in Festival Hall Base Camp – a clear, central area for meetings scheduled through the app (formerly Connect Lounge).
• Community support amenities, including gender-neutral bathrooms, pronoun ribbons, quiet room, multi-faith room, lactation pods, childcare, and more, because feeling safe and seen is part of doing your best work.

You spoke. We listened. Across surveys, roundtables, 1:1 conversations, market studies, and Advisory Board guidance, we heard the same messages loud and clear: make GDC easier to navigate, easier to connect, and easier to get value from. Every change this year reflects what the community asked for:

• Less confusion around passes.
• Less siloed content.
• Better ways to meet the right people.
• More places to gather during the day and at night.
• A full-week of GDC experiences, not a collection of rooms.

The Festival of Gaming provides: more access, more clarity, more connection, and more reasons to spend all five days together.

GDC is for everyone who makes successful games happen. That’s everyone who contributes to how games are imagined, built, shipped, marketed, scaled, and sustained. This includes: Developers, Designers, Artists, Producers, Engineers, Writers, Audio teams, Composers, Voice Actors, Marketers, Analysts, Publishers, Investors, Platform Partners, Educators, Tools & tech providers, Community managers, External Development teams, Executives, Studio Heads, and Senior Leaders. Ultimately, GDC serves everyone supporting the business and craft behind games.

Since GDC’s first gathering in 1988, the industry has transformed into a far more complex, interconnected ecosystem. Today’s games require cross-functional teams, multi-year live ops, sophisticated production pipelines, and robust go-to-market strategies. A modern industry needs a modern gathering – one built for the full ecosystem, not just one corner of it. This is GDC adapting to serve how games are made today.

The previous structure (All Access, Core, Summits, Audio, Independent Games Summit, Expo, and Friday Only Expo) was confusing and uneven, with some communities overpaying and others underserved.

No more Conference vs. Expo – one pass now delivers the full value of GDC. We unified the pass structure to make access clearer, more equitable, and packed with more value no matter your role, goals, or experience level:

• Festival Pass: Equivalent to the old All Access pass at a fraction (40%) of the price.
• Game Changer Pass: Everything in Festival plus onsite benefits like the Luminaries Speaker Series and GamePlan facilitated meetings.
• Two application-based passes, both include all Festival Pass benefits at a reduced price:
  • Early Stage Indie & Start-up Pass
  • Academic Pass

The program is designed to reflect how modern games are made today: across disciplines, across teams, and across the full lifecycle of a game. Rather than siloed tracks built only around game developer roles, the Festival Program introduces ecosystem tracks that mirror the real workflows of building, shipping, and sustaining successful games.

Each track now brings together content + community, combining:

• Focused sessions, workshops, and roundtables
• Cross-disciplinary learning moments
• Built-in networking opportunities
• Clear pathways to explore adjacent skills and processes

The result: cohesive journeys that follow the arc of game creation, from concept and production to launch, live operations, player engagement, and long-term success.

This shift makes it easier to:

• Learn the way real teams work – cross-functionally
• Connect with peers who shape the same part of the game ecosystem you do
• Discover new practices outside your role without buying a separate pass

It’s a program built for the full industry, not just one corner of it, because great games are made by many disciplines moving together.

Absolutely not – we know how vital these are to the industry. Instead of being confined to their own part of the conference schedule on Monday-Tuesday, they now sit inside the unified program as carefully crafted festival journeys through focused session series, workshops, roundtables, and signature sessions you can attend with any pass all week long.

This year, you’ll find 16 Summit communities woven throughout the program: Audio, Animation, Art Direction, Community Management, Game AI, Level Design, Tabletop, Product Management, Independent Games, Machine Learning, Technical Artist, Tools, Narrative, UX, Visual Effects, and Thriving Players.

This makes it easier for disciplines to intersect (AI + Animation, Audio + Design, Tools + Production), and easier for attendees to explore new areas without buying an additional pass.

Plus, the price of a Festival Pass is less expensive than the price of the old Summits Pass, but with the benefit of now getting access to all event content, not just the Summits.

Independent development didn’t go away – it expanded. Instead of a two-day Summit, GDC now features a full-week Independent Development Track alongside a refreshed Independent Games Summit. Together, they deliver a stronger, more meaningful experience for indies: deeper learning, more community touchpoints, and far more opportunities to connect with peers, partners, and supporters throughout the entire week.

What’s new:

• A full-week Independent Development Track with focused sessions, workshops, and roundtables
• An Independent Games Summit woven throughout the full-week, offering more places for indies to meet, share work, and learn together
• A more affordable Festival Pass that unlocks all content touched by indie creation, from concept to funding to publishing to player engagement
• A dedicated Indie & Education neighborhood in the Festival Hall, with its own stage and curated sessions
• A brand-new Early Stage Indie & Start-up Pass, expanding access even further
• Game Changer Pass holders can now apply for GDC Pitch and participate in GamePlan (facilitated, 1:1 high-value meetings)

What used to be two days of programming is now an entire interconnected ecosystem of content, community, and opportunity. This new approach is designed to support the creativity, business needs, and long-term success of independent developers.

Audio remains a core pillar of GDC. What’s better:

• The old Audio Pass (which only covered Audio sessions) used to cost more than today’s Festival Pass.
• Now, Audio professionals get full access to all content, all week.
• Audio-focused sessions, demos, and meetups remain strong and are woven more intentionally across the program.

And the Developers’ Concert remains a major showcase of the craft, now in a prime evening slot on Tuesday of GDC week.

A lot. Previously, it was a large open floor with booths, two stages, and one lounge. Now, it’s an experience-led festival environment organized into five themed neighborhoods: Game Development, Future Tech, Indie & Education, International, Monetization & Player Engagement.

Each neighborhood includes:

• A dedicated stage hosting microtalks, demos, AMAs, and fast-paced sessions tailored to that neighborhood’s theme.
• A community lounge designed for casual meetups, spontaneous conversations, and connecting with people who share your interests.
• Complimentary pop-up light bites so you can explore, connect, and stay energized without leaving the Hall.

You’ll also find a live Podcast Studio, where you can watch recordings in real time! We have a few slots open, so please get in touch if you’d like to host an episode during GDC.

And yes, your staples are still here! alt.ctrl.GDC and the IGF Pavilion return in full force, bringing the creativity, experimentation, and discovery the community loves.

Yes! One of GDC’s most beloved programs is absolutely returning. Even better – eligibility is expanding. You no longer need a GDC Play booth to participate. This year, anyone with a Game Changer Pass can apply. Applications are open until February 2, 2026.

New this year, the Affiliate Program highlights vetted community events happening across San Francisco during GDC week. Why? The community told us it was hard to tell which events were legitimate, safe, or worth the time, so we created a trusted guide you can rely on.

The Affiliate Program will:

• Spotlight partner events that meet select criteria
• Help you navigate the wider ecosystem of events
• Expand options for evening programming beyond GDC Nights
• Promote and support community-run initiatives

The first wave of events will be posted shortly.

A new, high-level series for senior leaders featuring: Market outlooks, Platform and ecosystem strategy, Cross-media IP, AI/ML implications, Player behavior trends, and more.

Hosted at Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA, Tuesday–Thursday. Exclusive to Game Changer Pass holders.

Speaker announcements begin in December.

GamePlan is a new, facilitated 1:1 meetings program built in response to attendees requests for a better way to meet the right people quickly. It’s double opt-in. No AI. No blind matches. You can get up to 10 high-intent meetings across two days. Get on calendars early, secure the conversations that matter to you, and walk away with real momentum in motion.

It’s designed for: Executives, Publishers, Investors, Tools & tech companies, Buyers & decision-makers, Studios seeking partners, Founders raising capital, and Media & press

Eligibility:

• Game Changer Pass holders
• Invited qualified participants

For more casual, low-pressure connections, GDC Encounters (our Speed Networking format) continues, along with dedicated spaces throughout the Festival Hall where you can meet up with people you’ve scheduled through the Event App.

We’ve expanded from 2 nights to 4 nights, each with its own identity. All official. All GDC-run. All included.

Why the change?

• The community asked for reliable evening options built into the pass – something easy, welcoming, and available every night before exploring other receptions and community events around the city.
• For years, people have requested a real, official Monday night kickoff to help find their people from the start.
• The Developers’ Concert gets the elevated, prime-time spotlight it deserves – not a midday slot that competes with lunch.
• The Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) now each get their own dedicated night, giving every community its moment to shine, celebrate one another, and come together around the craft without rushing through a marathon double-program.

• Complimentary pop-up light bites in each Festival Hall neighborhood lounge.

• Game Changer Pass holders:

  • Daily picnic lunch Monday-Friday at Yerba Buena Gardens (up to $100 value)
  • Dedicated seating area in Yerba Buena Gardens

• Please note: Yerba Buena Gardens remains open to the public! Each year, GDC secures this space from the City of San Francisco specifically to keep it accessible, preventing outside groups from taking it over or restricting access. A portion will be reserved for Game Changer Pass holders during lunch simply to provide a consistent place to gather, while the majority of the Gardens stays available for everyone.

• Fun update: We will now be providing music at the Yerba Buena Gardens stage during lunch hours which can be enjoyed by everyone!

Mid-December. Currently, the Agenda shows confirmed titles, descriptions, and speakers, with more being added each week.

Register 10 or more people together for Festival and/or Game Changer passes and receive 10% off the current price. If you're organizing a larger team trip, our Group Registration team can help streamline the process and point you to travel savings and other support options.

Yes! In addition to discounted hotels, group pricing, and Visa assistance (by request), we now offer flight and car rental discounts.

We love to hear your feedback! This page will be updated with new confirmations, clarifications, and community-requested details.

• General questions: gdcregistration@informa.com
• Program questions: gdccontent@informa.com
• Media/Press: gdcpress@fortyseven.com
• GamePlan: gdcgameplan@informa.com
• Group registration: gdcgroupregistration@informa.com