Year 2026 Game Developers Conference Recorded a significant decline in attendance, losing nearly a third of its visitors. Industry observers have cited several Trump administration policies as the main reasons for the downward trend, while this year's GDC was also burdened by some organizational decisions.
This decline was not unexpected, as was anticipated before the latest edition of the conference, which took place in San Francisco from March 9 to 13. In the weeks leading up to the event, many developers are skipping GDC 2026 due to security concerns stemming from ICE activity in the United States and other US immigration policies they describe as internationally hostile.
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GDC 2026 saw a 33% attendance drop
Overall, GDC 2026 hosted around 20,000 attendees, as recently revealed by organizer Informa PLC. That number is down 33% from the 2024 and 2025 editions of the San Francisco event, which both drew about 30,000 people, according to official post-show summaries and local reporting. Informa also said that the 2026 event had more than 700 sessions, 1,100 speakers, more than 300 exhibitors, as well as participants from more than 85 countries. Compared to 2025, the number of speakers increased by 10%, while the number of sessions and exhibitors decreased by approximately 7% and 25%, respectively.
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According to many industry observers, the low turnout reflects a mix of political, economic, and event-specific pressures. The San Francisco Chronicle linked the decline to widespread layoffs in the sports business and what it described as the Trump administration's hostility toward international visitors. Separately, PocketGamer.biz pointed to long-standing concerns about low exhibitor attendance, a shrinking expo floor, and the cost of attending the San Francisco-based show.
The Iran war led to the last-minute cancellation of GDC 2026
In addition to earlier concerns over ICE activity and US immigration policy, the ongoing Iran war also appeared to weigh on participation. Several last-minute keynote and attendee cancellations have been linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, first reported by The Game Business. From a logistical standpoint, the war also disrupted travel, with widespread flight cancellations, regional airspace closures, and restrictions on major hubs including Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai. The disruption affected international travel corridors in the weeks leading up to GDC 2026.
GDC 2026 vs GDC 2025 Comparison
|
GDC 2025 |
GDC 2026 |
YoY change |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
participants |
30,000 |
20,000 |
-33% |
|
speakers |
1,000 |
1,100 |
+10% |
|
Sessions |
750 |
700 |
-6.66% |
|
Exhibitors |
400 |
300 |
-25% |
The weak economic backdrop of the industry has also left the conference more exposed than in recent years. The GDC 2026 State of the Industry report found that one-third of game development professionals polled were fired in the previous two years, while attendees interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle said a trip to California no longer makes sense for many developers who are away from the Bay Area, out of work, or both. Keynote speech from metal gear and Death Stranding Creator Hideo Kojima, one of the highest-profile events on the original GDC 2026 schedule, was also canceled before the conference. No reason was given for the cancellation, which was confirmed in early February.
Due to its small scale, GDC 2026 did not use the North Hall of the Moscone Convention Center for the first time in years. The official attendance figure of 20,000 meant that this year's event was the smallest traditional event in years. GDC 2022 officially attracted fewer attendees, but that was largely because it was a hybrid event, with 12,000 in-person visitors and 5,000 virtual attendees. The last traditional GDC trade show with attendance in the ballpark of 20,000 was the 2011 edition, which drew more than 19,000 visitors.
Sources: Reuters, GDC / Informa PLC, GDC 2026 State of Industry
