Game Developers Conference 2022

The 2022 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s longest-running event for professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, begins its 36th edition today, in person at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The week-long conference, which also includes a virtual component, will feature more than 200 exhibitors, over 1,000 speakers, and more than 600 lectures, tutorials, roundtable discussions, and networking events. Safety is a priority for the conference, with proof of vaccination required at the event and face masks worn indoors in compliance with California and local requirements.

The GDC kicks off with two days of Summits, March 21 and 22, each of which offers in-depth insight on a wide range of game development disciplines, including advanced graphics, AI, animation, art direction, community management, fair play, free-to-play games, game career, game narrative, game storytelling, independent games, level design, machine learning, math in game development, game educators, online game technology, open-source game development, programming, production essentials, technical artistry, tools, visual effects, UX and VR/AR.

Following the GDC Summits, the main GDC conference will kick off on Wednesday, March 23 with the multi-part presentation "GDC Main Stage: The Developer's Renaissance," which this year will focus on the future of game development and the evolving workplace. Esteemed speakers from Eidos-Montréal, PlayStation Studios, and Devolver Digital will talk on topics including finding the right balance in a remote/hybrid work environment, taking a stronger approach to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, and empowering developers to “kill it with kindness.”

Game Developers Conference Sessions

The main conference also features sessions full of insights from some of the biggest names in electronic entertainment. Top designers will lead sessions on Baldur's Gate 3, Clash of Clans, Horizon Forbidden West, Life is Strange: True Colors, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Sable, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney World, Wolfenstein 3D, Q-bert and much more. Even Josh Wardle, creator of the international phenomenon Wordle will be in attendance to lead a talk on how he created, grew, and sold the ubiquitous word game.

The 24th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards, which honor the most promising developers and projects from the world of independent video games, and the 22nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCAs), which recognizes and celebrates the creativity, artistry, and technical ingenuity of the finest developers and games of the last year, will both take place back-to-back on Wednesday, March 23, starting at 6:30 pm PT. Both the IGF and GDCA ceremonies are available to attend for all GDC 2022 pass holders and will be live-streamed on the GDC's official Twitch channel.

"We are incredibly excited for this week and what it signals: the video game industry is able to join together again to share their learnings, celebrate their successes, and breathe a collective sigh of relief," said Katie Stern, who oversees the GDC as VP of Entertainment Media at Informa Tech. "This is the first GDC of many to come that will again be a space for the game industry to meet and where professionals can learn and grow."

GDC 2022 features an expo floor where top game industry companies exhibit their latest and meet with attendees, as well as special spaces such as the alt.ctrl.GDC and the IGF Pavilion. Returning for its eighth year, the alt.ctrl.GDC is an acclaimed exhibit where visitors can play games using alternative controllers and meet the developers behind these uniquely interesting projects. The IGF Pavilion hosts the finalists of the IGF Awards, providing attendees with a chance to play some of the most exciting and boundary-pushing independent games.

For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.