The 2025 Game Developers Conference drew an attendance of nearly 30,000 individuals

Nearly 30,000 attendees participated in this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC), as announced by the event organizers. This attendance figure is consistent with the previous year, 2024; however, the number of exhibitors at the Moscone Center in San Francisco grew from 325 to 400.

The conference featured over 1,000 speakers who contributed to 750 sessions, including workshops, roundtable discussions, and networking events. Additionally, GDC 2025 marked the inauguration of the GDC Nights, an after-hours event held on March 17 and 20, which attracted over 6,000 participants.

Stephanie Hawkins, the director of the event, remarked, "Witnessing the captivating talks, the collective labor organization, and the exceptional performances at GDC Nights has been a reaffirming experience, further strengthening GDC's purpose of connecting developers through their shared enthusiasm for game creation."

She continued, "Despite the growing difficulties faced by game developers globally in recent years, we take pride in seeing GDC persist as a guiding light. We are eager to meet our peers here again and hope the relationships and insights gained will inspire their future game developments."

The week-long gathering also featured two awards ceremonies. The Game Developers Choice Awards recognized Balatro with multiple honors, including Game of the Year. Meanwhile, the Independent Game Awards celebrated Consume Me, crafted by Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thompson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P and Ken 'coda' Synder, with the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for Best Independent Game.

The next GDC is set to occur at San Francisco's Moscone Center from March 9 to March 13, 2026.