Bonfire Studios manager and former Blizzard chief creative officer Rob Pardo will host a keynote address at GDC’s Festival of Gaming.

Entitled “An Odyssey in Building Games That Last,” Pardo’s address will reflect decades of working in the industry, shaping some of the world’s biggest games, including iconic franchises like StarCraft, World of Warcraft, and Diablo, as well as how he approaches game-making at the studio he co-founded in 2016, Bonfire Studios.

“For more than three decades, Rob Pardo has helped define what enduring game design looks like,” said Nina Brown, president of GDC.

“At a time when our industry is navigating rapid technological change and evolving business models, his perspective is both grounding and forward-looking. Rob’s commitment to building games that players return to again and again reflects exactly the kind of creative conviction GDC Festival of Gaming is here to celebrate.”

Pardo’s keynote is set for 9am PT on Thursday, March 12.

GDC Festival of Gaming is taking place from March 9-13 in San Francisco, California, and will welcome 1000+ speakers and 700+ sessions across the five-day event, including presentations from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive and Dispatch’s AdHoc Studio. For more, head on over to GDC’s website.

Hideo Kojima was slated to attend and present at the event, but withdrew last month.

GDC organisers Informa recently revealed they have not seen any drop in planned attendance by overseas visitors, despite escalating industry concern over both costs and the current US political situation. The show’s controversial decision to rebrand from the Game Developer Conference to the GDC Festival of Gaming also drew a lukewarm response.