The Game Developers Conference returns to San Francisco this March 17-21, 2025—and the call for submissions to present lectures, panels, and roundtables for Core Concepts at GDC 2025 is open! Looking for help? We've got all the resources you need to submit your own talk.
The call for submissions is happening now through Thursday, August 8 at 11:59pm PT. This includes everything intended for the Core Conference Tracks on the Wednesday through Friday of the event, in the following topics (tracks): Advocacy, Audio, Business & Marketing, Design, Production & Team Leadership, Programming, and Visual Arts.
Find the Submissions Page Here
Below is a basic guide on how to submit a proposal for GDC 2025—visit our Submissions FAQ for a more detailed breakdown, and follow us on GDC TikTok for submissions advice and great talk examples. You can also watch this roundtable video from GDC Showcase 2023, where emeritus GDC advisor Kimberly Voll discussed the submission process.
What Are We Looking For?
The GDC Advisory Board seeks submissions from game developers, researchers, educators, and thought leaders eager to share what works, what should change, and where the future of video games is headed.
The Board is eager to hear new creators, new stories, and new ideas—with a focus on diversity of voice, experience, and perspective.
What Do I Need to Do?
Those who are interested in presenting at GDC 2025 Core Concepts need to prepare a proposal.
The main crux of the proposal is an approximately 500-word synopsis of what the talk will be about and what GDC attendees will take away from it. Don't shy away from sharing all relevant numbers and supporting materials—this synopsis is only for the Advisory Board, no one else will see it.
In addition, submitters will need to provide website details like: what the presentation will be called, the format, what track it will cover, along with a speaker bio and other website descriptions.
A full list of required materials and other key information is available here.
What Happens Next?
The submission process is divided into a three-phase system.
Phase I: A presentation is submitted (by August 8 at 11:59pm PT), then it's off to the GDC Advisory Board for initial review.
Phase II: The Advisory Board lets submitters know by early October if a proposal has been Accepted, Declined, or advances to Phase II Conditional Acceptance. If they've been Conditionally Accepted, submitters will be asked to make some revisions, which will be due later that month. Please note: Most proposals will reach Phase II Conditional Acceptance before being accepted into GDC 2025.
Phase III: The Advisory Board will review Phase II revisions and send out final acceptances or declines from November to December.
Where Do I Find More Information?
Be sure to head to GDC Core Concepts for all the information needed to submit a proposal to GDC 2025. This includes examples of standout proposals that can be used as inspiration.
For those wanting a few tips on how to get started first, visit the Advisory Board's Submissions FAQ for a list of common questions and helpful advice on how to get things rolling.
Starting August 22 through September 26, 2024 at 11:59pm PT, GDC 2025 will be accepting submissions to present lectures and panels for the Summits portion of the event, along with Game Career Seminar. More information on how to submit for Summits and Game Career Seminar will be shared in the coming weeks.
You're encouraged to subscribe to the Call for Submissions mailing list, which will provide updates on deadlines and other key information.
This is your opportunity to share your incredible work, innovative ideas, and one-of-a-kind perspective with thousands of peers in the industry. We can't wait to see what you have in store.
GDC returns to San Francisco in March 2025, and the Core Concepts call for submissions is now open! For more information, be sure to visit our website and follow the #GDC2025 hashtag on social media.
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