The Game Developers Conference has warned that major industry players opting out of the event are effectively signaling to developers that they “don’t care” about fostering relationships within the community, according to the event’s executive director of innovation and growth, Mark DeLoura.

In an interview with The Game Business, DeLoura mentioned noticeable absences at GDC 2025, held from March 17–21 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, where engine juggernauts Unity and Epic Games scaled back their presence, and Sony Interactive Entertainment skipped the expo floor entirely. 

DeLoura, who previously worked for Sony and initiated their first GDC booth 25 years ago in 2001, showed disappointment and stated:

As an attendee, I was disappointed not to see Unity and Unreal on the show floor. I worked with Sony, and I started the Sony booth 25 years ago… not to see Sony on the show floor is just disappointing. I really feel like you’ve got so many developers there, you’ve got to have a front door.

He further mentioned that while companies like these host their own events, such as Epic’s Unrea Fest or Unity’s Unite conferences, to discuss NDA-protected topics, skipping GDC risks missing out on connecting with independent developers who lack insider access.

DeLoura added:

Of course, these companies are going to have their own events, they have their own communities they need to foster, and they can talk about things that are more NDAed at their own events that they may not want to do at a public show. But you’re not going to find the independent developer who doesn’t already know somebody at your shop, unless you’re there with your door open.

Questioning the logic behind this, he stated:

Isn’t that the purpose of conferences? Meeting new people. You’ve decided you don’t want to meet new people, I guess. I can’t understand that. There’s more to it than that, of course. There are costs, etcetera. But developers get the vibe. If you’re not there, or appear not to be there, are they sure that you care about them? That’s what I don’t understand.

Amid these concerns, GDC is preparing for a significant overhaul in 2026, rebranding as the “GDC Festival of Gaming” to unite the industry better.

Scheduled for March 9–13, 2026, the 37-year-old event will introduce streamlined pass types, lower ticket prices starting at $199 for a new “Festival Pass.” 

DeLoura stated in a press release on October 23, “In a time of great change, we can build walls or build bridges – and the GDC Festival of Gaming is all about building bridges.”

Rahim Amir Noorali – Tech Writer – 414 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025

I am a UAE-based tech writer who likes to build and benchmark PCs both professionally and as a hobby. I contribute to multiple tech publications, including TechRadar and Notebookcheck, as well as Game Rant, where I focus primarily on news, commerce, and buying guides. When I’m not scouring the internet for the latest in tech stories, you will find me playing a game of Civilization or DotA with friends and frenemies alike while dropping recommendations for Apple TV+’s Foundation to everyone I come across.