Passes & Pricing
Register by October 9 at 11:59pm PT to lock in our Super Early Rate.
Choose Your Pass
Festival $499
Super Early Rate
The complete GDC experience.
Access the full GDC Program sessions & talks
Festival Hall (Tue-Thu) and GDC Nights (Developer's Concert, Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), and Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards)
Business Hall access with guest meeting passes and reservable meeting spaces (subject to availability)
Friday Career Faire & career-focused sessions (West Hall Only) entry
Game Changer $1149
Super Early Rate
The premium GDC experience.
Everything included with the Festival pass
Access to the dedicated Game Changer Lounge with light bites
Daily lunch included
Reserved seating at GDC Nights and Keynote
One-year GDC Vault subscription
Indie OR Start-Up $299
Super Early Rate
Festival pass at a more accessible price.
Access to the full GDC Program sessions and talks
Festival Hall (Tue-Thu) and GDC Nights (Developer's Concert, Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), and Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards)
Business Hall access with reservable meeting spaces (subject to availability)
*Application-based
Festival Hall ONLY $149
Super Early Rate
The Festival floor experience, on your schedule.
Festival Hall (Tue-Thu), including all sessions and talks on the Festival floor
Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) (Tue) and Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards (Wed)
No entry to the Business Hall, main GDC Program, meeting spaces, or Developer’s Concert
Business Hall ONLY $99
Super Early Rate
Your home base for meetings during GDC week.
Business Hall access (Mon-Fri)
Reservable meeting spaces (subject to availability)
Limited guest meeting passes (2 per day)
No entry to the Festival Hall or GDC Nights (Developer's Concert, Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), and Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards)
Academic $299
Super Early Rate
Festival pass at a more accessible price.
Access to the full GDC Program sessions and talks
Festival Hall (Tue-Thu) and GDC Nights (Developer's Concert, Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), and Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards)
Business Hall access with reservable meeting spaces (subject to availability)
No Business Hall guest meeting passes
*Accredited educational email address required for registration
1-Day Career $99
Super Early Rate
*Friday only. One focused day to move your career forward.
Access to Career Faire and career-focused sessions in West Hall
Friday access to the Business Hall lobby
No entry to Festival Hall, main GDC Program, meeting spaces, or GDC Nights (Developer's Concert, Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), and Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards)
GDC Vault Subscription $649
Super Early Rate
Keep learning with 30+ years of GDC sessions & talks.
One year access to GDC Vault
Thousands of on-demand sessions from across GDC's history
Technical talks, design postmortems, production case studies, and business insights
Watch anytime, from anywhere, at your own pace
Group Discounts
Bring the crew—save big and celebrate together!
- 10+ people = 10% off current Festival or Game Changer pass prices
- Seamless checkout: one simple form for your whole group
- How to redeem: request the Group Registration Form from the GDC Group Registration Team.
Have a larger group or specific requests? Contact the GDC Group Registration Team, and we’ll walk you through options and make the purchase easy.
Pass Eligibility Requirements
Indie Pass
For independent studios and self-employed game professionals of any age. Whether you’ve been operating for one year or twenty, you may qualify as long as you remain independently operated and meet the size requirements.
To qualify, you must:
- Work within the game-making ecosystem
- Have fewer than 50 full-time employees
- Be independently operated and not owned or controlled by a larger operating company
- Not operate as an agency, consultancy, law firm, venture capital firm, or accelerator
Outside funding does not affect eligibility as long as your business remains independently operated.
The Indie Pass does not qualify for group pricing or count toward group purchase minimums.
Start-Up Pass
For early-stage companies building within the game-making ecosystem. Outside funding is welcome; eligibility is based primarily on when your company was established and its size.
To qualify, you must:
- Work within the game-making ecosystem
- Have been founded or established after January 1, 2022
- Have fewer than 50 full-time employees
- Not operate as an agency, consultancy, law firm, venture capital firm, accelerator, or other investment business
The Start-Up Pass does not qualify for group pricing or count toward group purchase minimums.
Academic Pass
For full-time students, faculty, and staff at accredited educational institutions.
To qualify, you must:
- Be enrolled or employed full-time at an accredited educational institution
- Verify your status using an institutional email address or proof of enrollment or employment
The Academic Pass does not qualify for group pricing or count toward group purchase minimums.
Can I combine passes?
Yes. Business Hall Only, Festival Hall Only, and the 1-Day Career Pass can be combined so you can build the GDC experience that fits your week.
For example, you can combine Business Hall Only + Festival Hall Only if you want dedicated meeting time alongside access to the Festival Hall. Or add the 1-Day Career Pass if you also want access to Friday’s career-focused programming.
Each pass is purchased separately.
Not sure which pass, or combination of passes, is right for you? Contact the GDC Registration Team and we’ll help you find the best option.
For more information, check out our FAQs here.
Have questions?
Not sure which pass, or combination of passes, is right for you? Contact the GDC Registration Team.