Hideo Kojima set to deliver keynote at GDC Festival of Gaming 2026

Hideo Kojima has been selected as the opening keynote speaker for the GDC Festival of Gaming in 2026.

His presentation, "Restarting from Zero: A Message to Creators Considering Independence," will mark a decade since the creation of Kojima Productions, exploring its journey from inception to producing its first game, Death Stranding, and its sequels.

According to GDC, Kojima plans to discuss his experiences of "starting over" after his time at Konami, known for the Metal Gear series, and the creative accomplishments along the way.

In 2009, Kojima was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards for his innovative contributions to the stealth genre and advancements in game storytelling.

"Hideo Kojima is a leading creative force in our era, influencing global gaming experiences," stated GDC president Nina Brown.

She added, "Featuring Kojima-san at the forefront of the GDC Festival of Gaming embodies the essence of a new age: daring creativity, ambitious concepts, and enhancing the game development community as a whole. His path mirrors the spirit of transformation many in the industry are embracing today."

The GDC Festival of Gaming will be held in San Francisco from March 9 to March 13 next year.

In September 2025, the Game Developer Conference underwent a rebranding to become the GDC Festival of Gaming.

GamesIndustry.biz had a discussion with Informa's executive director for innovation and growth, Mark DeLoura, regarding this change.

DeLoura highlighted that GDC continues to be "by developers, for developers, [and] focused on developers," with unique characteristics that include engaging with the city in novel ways.