Hideo Kojima has been announced as the first keynote speaker at GDC Festival of Gaming 2026.

Titled ‘Restarting from Zero: A Message to Creators Considering Independence,’ Kojima will reflect on the 10th anniversary of Kojima Productions from its founding to developing its debut game (and subsequent franchise) Death Stranding.

As GDC noted, Kojima aims to “share his journey, the pitfalls and the creative fulfillment of starting all over again” following his tenure at Konami where he created the Metal Gear franchise.

Kojima received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2009, where he was recognised for “his work in pioneering the stealth genre and furthering in-game narrative.”

“Hideo Kojima is one of the most influential creative voices of our time, his work has shaped how the world experiences games,” said GDC president Nina Brown.

“Having Kojima-san headline the GDC Festival of Gaming sets the perfect tone for what this new era is all about: fearless creativity, bold ideas, and elevating the entire game-making ecosystem. His journey embodies the spirit of reinvention that so many in the industry are navigating right now.”

GDC Festival of Gaming takes place in San Francisco next year from March 9 to March 13.

In September 2025, the Game Developer Conference rebranded to GDC Festival of Gaming.

GamesIndustry.biz spoke to Informa’s executive director for innovation and growth Mark DeLoura about the rebrand.

DeLoura reiterated that GDC is “still by developers, for developers, [and] focused on developers,” and that its “distinguishing features” include embracing “the city in different ways than we have before.”