GDC 2025 preview — with 700 sessions and perhaps 30,000 attendees

The Game Developers Conference 2025 will feature more than 700 or so speaker sessions and could draw as many as 30,000 attendees, according to the organizers at Informs.

GDC’s expo passes are selling at a better rate, with double-digit increases for expo floor ticket sales, said Stephenie Hawkins, event director at Informa for GDC, in an interview with GamesBeat. GDC isn’t forecasting a particular number, but last year’s total hit around 30,000.

This year, there are more people opting for an all-access pass, and many of the expo-floor-only passes are selling at the last minute.

There will be a big awards show — the Independent Games Festival and the Game Developers Choice Awards — on Wednesday evening March 19. At the awards event, All Access pass holders will get priority seating close to the stage.

GDC Nights

One of the highlights this year is on the social side, as the organizers are introducing GDC Nights, an after-hours experience designed to bring the game development community together for two evenings in a safe format, said Hawkins. (In the past, bad behavior at offsite side events prompted GDC to do this). Attendees can get tickets just for the evening networking events if they wish.

“Safety is definitely our priority for our attendees,” Hawkins said. “The focus or intention behind it was to be able to provide an after-hours event for folks that is safe and on site and close to the conference.”

Taking over all three floors of Moscone’s West Hall on Monday and Thursday (6:30-10:00 p.m. on March 17 and March 20), GDC is will bring attendees a festival of fun, connection, and creativity – right where the industry gathers. No more scrambling for plans or hunting for after-hours meetups across San Francisco.

“I’m really excited to just kind of bounce around and To rooms here and there,” Hawkins said.

GDC Nights delivers a comfortable, engaging, and immersive space for attendees to relax, make new connections, and experience GDC in an entirely new way. GDC partnered with a number of parties to make the new GDC Nights events happen.

Also, GDC will feature the special screening of Deli Boys, the hit Hulu comedy series created by Abdullah Saeed on Monday night, March 17. Following the screening, there will be an exclusive panel where GDC Nights attendees can engage with the stars of the show and ask questions live.

Comedy Crossing LIVE! is a unique stand-up comedy show where comedians perform live on stage, while being puppeteered as Animal Crossing characters inside comedian Jenny Yang’s virtual comedy club, featured on a big screen. The concept was created by stand-up comedian, TV writer, and actor Jenny Yang during the early days of the pandemic. From June 2020 to June 2021, the show brought together comedy and gaming in a groundbreaking way.

• Speakers: Jenny Yang (Xing in Netflix’s The Brothers Sun, Netflix Is A Joke Festival, SF Sketchfest, Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch), Irene Tu (Netflix Is A Joke Festival, NY Magazine Vulture Comedians You Should Know), more to be announced.
• When: Thursday, March 20, 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Where: Moscone West, Level 2, Room 2005

Following the success of 2024’s inaugural GDC concert, composer Austin Wintory will return once again in 2025 with a whole new slate of both classics and deep cuts. Springing from the theme of “Connecting the World through Games,” the music will come from all corners of the gaming world, with lots of surprises and special guests. All attendees are invited to attend the event.

• Speaker: Austin Wintory (Composer, Independent)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Where: Lobby Level of West Hall

Since our last preview story, GDC has added another mainstage session from the Entertainment Software Association.

ESA Senior Vice President Aubrey Quinn will join accessibility consultant, speaker and journalist Paul Amadeus Lane and accessibility leaders from five tech and video game companies – Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America and Ubisoft – to learn about a new accessibility initiative meant to improve the player experience for more people.

“They’re talking about this, again, this industry-wide initiative of kind of coming together and how folks can get involved or developers can get involved to push this accessibility initiative forward,” Hawkins said. “So I’m really excited for that.”

• Speaker: Aubrey Quinn  (Senior Vice President, ESA), Paul Amadeus Lane  (Accessibility Consultant , Amadeus 4th Corp), Amy Lazarus  ( Director, Player Inclusion, Electronic Arts), Dara Monasch  (Product Manager, Google), Anna Waismeyer  (Senior Accessibility Research Lead, Microsoft/Xbox), Steven Evans  (Senior Technical Program Manager, Nintendo of America), David Tisserand  (Director, Accessibility, Ubisoft)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
• Where: Lobby Level of West Hall

Attendees will gain a better understanding of the current state of the game industry and learn ways to address some of the biggest issues impacting game developers today. It’s also a space for developers to connect and find their support network.

• Speakers: Natalie Sam (Senior Manager, Game Marketing, GDC / Informa Festivals), Sam Warnke  (Conference Producer, GDC / Informa Festivals)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 9:00 am -10:00 am
• Where: Room 303, South Hall

2025 GDC State of the Game Industry Panel

Attendees will gain a better understanding of the current state of the game industry and learn ways to address some of the biggest issues impacting game developers today. It’s also a space for developers to connect and find their support network.

• Speakers: Roshelle “Ro” Patterson (UX Researcher, Extraordinary Friends), Elaine Gómez (President, Latinx in Gaming), Gordon Bellamy (CEO, Gay Gaming Professionals), Bryant Francis (Senior Editor, Game Developer), Beth Elderkin (Content Marketing Manager, GDC)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Where: GDC Partner Stage, Expo Floor, North Hall

GDC Community Spaces

alt.ctrl.GDC

Co-helmed by veteran indie curator John Polson and returning for its 11th year, the alt.ctrl.GDC exhibit is one of the event’s most acclaimed community spaces, where visitors can play games using alternative controllers and meet the developers behind these unique projects.

• When: Wednesday, March 19 – Friday, March 21
• Where: GDC Expo Floor

GDC Play

GDC Play is an interactive and dynamic platform for indie developers to demonstrate their innovative games and creative projects, connect with industry professionals and gain visibility and recognition from their peers. It’s a space to celebrate the diverse and imaginative vision that indie developers bring to the game community.

• When: Wednesday, March 19 – Friday, March 21
• Where: GDC Expo Floor

Shut Up & Sit Down board game lounge

Good news, analog game fans: Game Developers Conference organizers are pleased to announce that the Shut Up & Sit Down board game lounge is back this year and open to all passholders at various points during GDC week. This is a perennially popular part of GDC that’s curated by the keen minds behind tabletop game enthusiast hub Shut Up & Sit Down, so it’s a great place to hang out with your fellow attendees and check out some of the latest and most intriguing tabletop games on the market.

• When: Monday, March 18 – Friday, March 22
• Where: West Hall, Level 3

Play games nominated as finalists in the 2025 Independent Games Festival Awards. The IGF recognizes innovation and independent game developers and students, providing major exposure and thousands of dollars in cash prizes.

• When: Wednesday,March 19 – Friday, March 21
• Where: GDC Expo Floor

The industry’s foremost indie games showcase will be returning with opportunities to check out 12 incredible unreleased games and speak with some of the developers.

• When: Monday, March 17 – Friday, March 21; GDC Nights showcases on Monday, March 17 and Thursday, March 20 from 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Where: West Hall

Big Names and Big Games

Ashley Corrigan, who organizes the GDC speaking schedule, said she has a big board where she keeps all of the different GDC conference sessions organized, with movable session blocks. So far there are around 730 sessions.

A Matter of Perspective: Mixing Sound in ‘Split Fiction’

Using the unique process of mixing sound for a split screen game, the true goal of this talk is to inspire the audience to challenge themselves to think about their own work and how its limitations might be made to be a unique strength

• Speakers: Joakim Enigk Sjoberg (Senior Technical Sound Designer, Hazelight Studios) and Philip Eriksson (Audio Director, Hazelight)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Where: Room 3018, West Hall 

The Challenges in Developing an Innovative Battle System for ‘Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth’

Attendees should expect a detailed account on the challenges involved in designing an innovative battle system for the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Learn about the thinking, process, and results of how the formerly turn-based battle system was redesigned to incorporate more action and strategic elements.

• Speaker: Kentaro Tominaga (Sub-Director, Infold Games)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

‘Tekken’: Staying Relevant as a 30 Year Old Franchise

Through this presentation, participants will gain insight into the philosophy and techniques behind the Japanese-origin fighting game Tekken that have led to its support from fans around the world and evolution into a beloved series for over 30 years. They will gain insights from the history of the series as well as the game design of the latest title, Tekken 8.

• Speakers: Katsuhiro Harada (Chief Producer & Executive Game Director, Bandai Namco Studios), Kohei Ikeda (Game Director & Development Producer, Bandai Namco Studios) and Michael Murray (Producer, Bandai Namco Studios)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Where: Room 2002, West Hall

Developing ‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’ and the Potential of RPG Command Battle Systems

Attendees will learn how Atlus’s deep experience with “command RPGs” contributed to the development of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s combat systems.

• Speaker: Kenichi Goto (Lead Battle Planner, Atlus)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

The Making of ‘ASTRO BOT’

Attendees will get a first look at the initial internal pitch, gameplay prototyping process, and the way Sony Interactive creates levels and balances the scope for a game to appeal to both gamers and families alike. This talk should be particularly interesting if you are looking for insights on gameplay, level design and interactivity.

• Speaker: Nicolas Doucet (Studio Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 11:00 aa.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

‘Monument Valley 3’: Understanding the Past to Create a Modern Sequel

Attendees will gain an understanding of the process used to make a sequel to the iconic Monument Valley series 10 years on. They will learn the methods used to understand the original experience and make something just as impactful. It will be of interest to designers and those creating sequels.

• Speaker: Emily Brown (Lead Designer, ustwo games)
• When: Friday, March 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

Advocacy Track

A Code of Ethics for the Game Industry

Attendees will learn the history of the Ethical Games initiative, the results of the Ethical Games Conference held in January 2024 sorting the warranted concerns (as highlighted by academic research) from moral panics, the outcome of the fall 2024 workshops, and where the code of ethics currently stands.

• Speaker: Celia Hodent (Game UX Strategist, Independent)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Where: Room 2001, West Hall

Unions in Gaming: The Past, Present, and Future

Attendees will get an in-depth look at the current state of the video game unionization effort and how it’s been proceeding so far, warts and all. They will come away with a deeper understanding of why unionization has proven to be a challenge for the video game industry, the mistakes organizers have made, and the wins that workers have racked up so far. Don’t expect a debate over whether workers should or shouldn’t unionize, but do expect a hard look at how things have gone and what the future might bring.

• Speakers: Jason Schreier (Reporter, Bloomberg News), Tom Smith (Director of Organizing, Communication Workers of America)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
• Where: Room 3001, West Hall

#1ReasonToBe

#1ReasonToBe holds the power to broaden the horizons of our industry and the global challenges we confront. By providing insights into the often-overlooked realities and cultures, the panel sheds light on dimensions that are not conventionally visible to game developers.

Laia Bee will once again moderate the panel #1ReasonToBe, a session focused on the representation of women in the game industry. It has had a long history at GDC where panelists tell stories about their struggles to participate in the game industry under difficult conditions around the world. There’s a lot of interest in that session again, Corrigan said.

• Speakers: Laia Bee (Co-founder, Pincer Games), Javiera Sepulveda (QA, Kolibri), Kate Edwards (CEO/CXO & Cofounder, Geogrify/SetJetters), Morgan Baker (Game Accessibility Lead, Electronic Arts), Liana MacKenzie (Owner and Lead Designer, Valorous Games, LLC), Hanan Makki (Co-Founder, Qindeel Studio)
• When: Thursday, March 20,  11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Where: Room 2002, West Hall

Audio Track

‘Alan Wake 2’: Developing an Audio Vision

This talk explores the philosophy and framework behind creating the audio vision for Alan Wake 2, detailing how it guided the project and the team. Joining the team three years before shipping, Richard Lapington faced challenges that required a rethink on how to create an audio vision. By focusing on a core idea, structuring the direction, and fostering effective communication, Richard was able to drive the direction into production. Using examples from Alan Wake 2, Richard discusses key strategies for creating a framework for direction, a communication tool for the team, and creating a production strategy that aligns with creative goals.

• Speaker: Richard Lapington (Audio Director, Remedy Games)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 10:30 am – 11:00 am
• Where: Room 3018, West Hall

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Music: An Artistic and Tech Journey

In this talk, the speakers will delve into the music of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Initially, they explore the music direction, the score, songs, and the diegetic music. In the latter part of the presentation, they examine the innovative Priority-Based Music System developed specifically for the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

• Speakers: Jerome Angelot (Music Supervisor, Ubisoft), Roberto Bender (Audio Programmer, Ubisoft), Jullian Hoff (Music designer, Ubisoft)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Where: Room 3018, West Hall

‘A Cup Of Liber-Tea’: Scoring Satire with Sincerity in ‘Helldivers 2’

Attendees hear specific composition and production techniques that exemplify how Helldivers 2 music carries a realistic and cinematic vibe, while still engaging in the same satirical jingoism as Helldivers 1. The presentation demonstrates an approach to satire that uses earnest emotion and musical sophistication to help players enjoy being a part of the fiction.

• Speaker: Wilbert Roget (Composer, Music Supervisor, RogetMusic)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Where: Room 3018, West Hall

Business & Marketing Track

‘Balatro’: Turning Low Resolution into High Praise

Attendees will gain actionable insights into marketing games where visual assets aren’t the selling point, and how to craft compelling narratives that resonate with both players, media and press in a highly competitive market.

• Speaker: Wout van Halderen (Communications Director, Playstack)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
• Where: Room 3001, West Hall

How Valve Became Valve: An Insider’s Account

What does it feel like to launch an industry rocket like Half-Life as your debut game? How Valve Became Valve is all about the craziness of startup life at an epic scale. Come for the fun anecdotes and a bit of strategy, and walk away with a bigger understanding of what it takes to dream big, go for broke, and pivot when everything hits the fan.

Monica Harrington is going to give a talk about her stories about Valve, Hawkins said.

• Speaker: Monica Harrington (founding CMO, Valve (retired))
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Where: Room 2010, West Hall

The State of PC and Console Games in 2025

Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how player engagement, spending, and revenue models are evolving in 2025. This session will equip decision-makers with actionable insights on monetization strategies, platform dynamics, and content discoverability to help them navigate a shifting industry landscape and position their businesses for success.

• Speaker: Ben Porter (Consulting Director, Newzoo)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 9:30 am – 10:30 am
• Where: Room 3014, West Hall

Design Track

‘Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’: Making a Modern Metroidvania Both Challenging and Accessible

Attendees will learn how considering accessibility early on not only opens the game to more players but also enhances its quality and fosters innovative concepts. We’ll also present how accessibility allows designers to create a more challenging game if it suits their vision. Additionally, we’ll discuss organization and production, highlighting how involving every developer, rather than having a dedicated team, can lead to more polish and extra detail.

• Speaker: Remi Boutin (Senior Game Designer, Ubisoft)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

‘Helldivers 2’: Capturing Lightning in a Bottle

Attendees will be inspired by the strong philosophy that, despite a long development cycle, led to Helldivers 2’s success. They will learn how cohesive leadership, staying true to the game’s core fantasy, and leveraging improvisation and camaraderie created innovative experiences that stood out in a crowded market.

• Speaker: Johan Pilestedt (Chief Creative Officer, Arrowhead Game Studios AB)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

Teaching First-Time Level Designers for ‘Infinity Nikki’

Attendees will gain insights into how Infold Games approached training level designers behind the development of ‘Infinity Nikki’. They will gain an understanding of the coaching principles adopted by the studio, and hopefully become motivated to reach for a breakthrough in team capabilities, similar to what Infold Games achieved.

• Speaker: Kentaro Tominaga (Sub-Director, Infold Games)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Where: Room 2006, West Hall

Production & Team Leadership Track

‘Avowed’ Branching Narratives: Shifting from QA Testing to Analyzing

Attendees will learn which black box testing methods were originally applied on previous titles. See how QA analysts shifted their work upon gaining access and knowledge to development tools. Eventually resulting in QA working directly with implementors to review and iterate on quests from within the Unreal editor.

• Speakers: David Benefield (QA Lead, Obsidian Entertainment)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
• Where: Room 2016, West Hall

How Managing Dependencies for ‘Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’ Led to Smooth Production and a Successful Release

Attendees will be prepared to use scalable and flexible solutions in their projects, which can help them manage dependencies. There will also be takeaways on how to prepare the project environment and processes for teams to boost productivity and transparency. Last but not least, there will be a focus on leadership team building and their role in solving dependencies and making decisions.

• Speaker: Konrad Grzegory (Transformation Director, CD PROJEKT RED)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
• Where: Room 2001, West Hall

The Secret to Narrative-Driven and Short-Term Development in ‘Like a Dragon’

Attendees will discover how to efficiently develop large-scale games that require a deep narrative, whole learning the secrets of the benefits of creating a series and what is necessary for team building that can efficiently achieve high results.

• Speakers: Ryosuke Horii (Chief Director and Producer, SEGA) and Eiji Hamatsu (Design Manager, 1st Business Unit, SEGA)
• When: Friday, March 21, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

Programming Track

Flex and Fun: Graphics Magic in ‘ASTRO BOT’

In this presentation, attendees will discover the rendering techniques that power gameplay in ASTRO BOT. Through examples like fluid effects using fluid particles, deformable water surfaces, and various model deformation implementations, they will explore lightweight, flexible, and easy-to-implement model deformation techniques.

• Speakers: Tai Yamaguchi (Principal Graphics Programmer, Team ASOBI, Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• When: Friday, March 21, 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
• Where: Room 2002, West Hall

Building, Scaling, and Maintaining ‘Sea of Thieves’ Live Services

Attendees will gain practical insights into our approach to managing large-scale cloud infrastructure for live service games. They will learn about resilient system design, innovative scaling techniques, efficient data storage solutions, and handling live data migrations, all through the real-world case study of Sea of Thieves.

• Speakers: Matt Cavanagh (Lead of Live Services, Rare Ltd)
• When: Friday, March 21, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
• Where: Room 2002, West Hall

Dressed to Quest: Achieving Dynamic, Efficient Characters in ‘Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’

Attendees will learn how to implement efficient character rendering while maintaining high level of customizability. The techniques presented can be applied not only to individual hero characters but also to large crowds and armies.

• Speaker: Gabor Molnar (Graphics Programmer, Warhorse Studios)
• When: Friday, March 21, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Where: Room 2010, West Hall

Visual Arts Track

Reimagining Leaders for ‘Civilization VII’

This talk will offer insight into practices for successful interdisciplinary work and lessons learned throughout the development process. Additionally, methods will be shared for balancing historical integrity with creative design and gameplay that are relevant not only in the 4X space, but for any game drawing inspiration from history.

• Speakers: Chandrahas Tanguturi (Animator, Firaxis Games), Finn Taylor (Narrative Designer, Firaxis Games)
• When: Wednesday, March 19, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

Procedural Stadium Creation for ‘EA SPORTS College Football 25’

Attendees will gain an insight into procedural content creation strategies and how it can be leveraged to meet the scale of content demanded by modern video game titles.

• Speaker: Mat Suarez (Associate Technical Art Director, Electronic Arts)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
• Where: Room 3005, West Hall

From ‘Persona’ to ‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’: Creating a Visual Identity for a New Series

Attendees will learn the methods used to define the UI art style in “Metaphor: ReFantazio” with concrete examples. They will also understand the design of UI presentations that contribute to the play experience through examples of trial and error.

• Speaker: Koji Ise (Lead Interface Designer, Atlus)
• When: Thursday, March 20, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Where: Room 3004, West Hall

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