The Game Developers Conference, also known as "GDC," is held annually in San Francisco, California. It's been a hotbed of activity for all sorts of games industry participants, and even hosts an Independent Games Festival.
This year, fewer of those developers will be attending. As reported by Mobilegamer.biz, "many" international visitors are skipping this year due to safety concerns.
As political tensions ratchet up in the US over the debate over ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement), some international developers are opting out of GDC (and all travel to the US) for the foreseeable future.
The fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good have exacerbated those tensions, and the situation has come to a head in recent weeks. While GDC, known this year as the "GDC Festival of Gaming," is set to kick off on March 9, 2026, exhibitor attendance could drop depending on how studios currently feel about international travel to the US.
Perhaps the most significant statement comes from Business Development exec Cassia Curran, who broke down why this is happening: "European and Canadian games industry professionals are giving multiple reasons for not attending GDC this year. The most common reason given is that San...
