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GDC turns forty in style next March. The new GDC Festival of Gaming keeps the depth that made the conference essential and widens the tent to include everyone who ships and supports games, from first sketch to live service. Think one week in San Francisco, one campus around Moscone, one playbook for deals, learning, and discovery.
Dates: March 9 to 13, 2026
City: San Francisco, USA
Focus: connection, discovery, learning across the full lifecycle of games
What is changing, and why it matters
The industry is more interconnected than ever. The Festival format reflects that reality with a unified program for creators, publishers, platforms, investors, toolmakers, marketers, educators, and media. Content still carries GDC’s rigor, now paired with more cross discipline bridges, more deal flow, and more places to meet the right people fast.
Designed for real networking
- Match and meet in the app before wheels down, then use lounges and Speed Networking to turn intros into scheduled time.
- GamePlan (invite only, Game Changer Pass required) sets up facilitated one to ones for senior decision makers. Pitch funding, explore partnerships, evaluate tech, reconnect with key accounts.
- Citywide Affiliate Program adds satellite gatherings around town, so the conversations do not stop at the doors.
Festival Hall, rebuilt for discovery
Open Wednesday through Friday, the Hall is split into five easy to navigate neighborhoods so you can move with intent.
- Game Development: engines, pipelines, production craft
- Future Tech: AI, cloud, machine learning, new hardware
- Indie and Education: showcases, student work, mentoring
- International: trade groups, regional pavilions, cross border partners
- Monetization and Player Engagement: UA, store strategy, community, live ops
Each zone combines demos, micro sessions, and seating areas for quick follow ups.
A unified content journey across five days
Tracks and series connect disciplines rather than silo them. Expect classic postmortems and deep technical talks alongside workshops, fireside chats, roundtables, summits, forums, and hands on demos that open commercial doors. The program serves executives, studio leadership, product managers, producers, artists, engineers, community leads, and external development partners without forcing you into separate events.
Luminaries Speaker Series
An executive level series at the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA for Game Changer Pass holders. Strategy over tactics, delivered by influential voices from games and adjacent fields, built for leaders who shape portfolios, roadmaps, and budgets.
GDC Nights
Every evening from Monday through Thursday is programmed: an Opening Night Social Mixer, Austin Wintory’s Developer’s Concert, the IGF Awards, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. Music, mixers, and shared moments that make the week feel like a true festival.
New pass structure
- Festival Pass: full week sessions, Festival Hall, networking programs, nightly celebrations. Priced with significant savings compared with the prior All Access tier.
- Game Changer Pass: everything in Festival, plus premium seating and lounges, fast track entry for keynotes, concerts, awards, access to the Luminaries series, eligibility for GamePlan, and GDC Vault access.
- Digital Pass: online networking during the event, then on demand Vault access after.
- Application based options: support for early stage indies, startups, and academic groups.
Who should attend
- Studios and creators: learn, recruit, meet publishers, validate tech choices
- Publishers and investors: scout talent, set up pipelines, review pitches
- Tool and platform teams: demo products to buyers who can say yes
- Marketing, UA, and community: compare strategies, align campaigns, find partners
- Educators and students: portfolio reviews, mentoring, industry alignment
- Media: cover launches, trends, and the evolving business of games
Plan your week like a pro
Before you fly
- Set three goals: funding, hiring, or distribution roadmapping
- Build a one page pitch and a five minute demo or reel
- Book GamePlan or Speed Networking slots as soon as your pass is confirmed
On site
- Mornings: sessions or invite only meetings
- Midday: Festival Hall for demos and micro sessions, follow with quick sit downs in neighborhood seating areas
- Late afternoon: roundtables or workshops that match your goals
- Evenings: GDC Nights to deepen relationships and open new doors
Follow up
- Send a one paragraph recap within forty eight hours with clear next steps
- Drop clips and photos into your studio blog or LinkedIn while the week is still warm
Why this reimagining is timely
Budgets are tighter, toolchains evolve quickly, and teams are spread across time zones. The Festival puts everyone on one campus for five days so ideas, hiring, creative direction, and partnerships move forward together. It is a celebration of the craft, and a practical engine for the business that sustains it.
At a glance
- Event: GDC Festival of Gaming, 40th edition milestone
- Dates: March 9 to 13, 2026
- Location: in and around Moscone Center, San Francisco
- Registration: live now at gdconf.com
