TOKYO — April 2, 2025 — TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT marked a record-breaking year, with attendance more than doubling for the third consecutive time and surpassing 23,000 visitors, according to organizer Phoenixx Inc.. Held March 8-9, the 2025 TIGS showcase continued establishing itself as a major growing fixture to Japan’s indie game scene.
Building on top of last year’s record number of 9,000 attendees, TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT hosted more than 23,000 visitors during this year’s two-day festival featuring over 200 curated indie titles. The first ever TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT AWARD ceremony, supported by Japanese Television broadcasting company BS Asahi, decorated titles standing out through their embodiment of creativity and innovation. Award winners include:
Replay the weekend’s festivities on the TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT official livestream, including panel discussions between indie game industry titans Shuhei Yoshida and Shunji Mizutani, the the heated national finals for the competitive RTS Jelly Troops where developers themselves jumped into the fray against with NIJISANJI VTubers, game trailers, gameplay previews, and much more.
“Seeing the amazing energy of creators and fans from all over to come together in Kichijoji was truly inspiring,” says Kazuniori Sakamoto, founder of Phoenixx. “We are immensely grateful for the growth of TIGS, and are putting plans in place to ensure 2026 is our biggest year to date. Stay tuned for what’s next!”
San Francisco, April 1, 2025 – The gaming industry’s rapid evolution has reached a new frontier. AI Game Industry Conference: By AI for AI is the first-ever conference designed, managed, and operated entirely by autonomous AI agents. This revolutionary event is tailored to equip AI-driven systems with the specialized knowledge required to enhance their capabilities in game development, asset creation, production, publishing, and marketing.
By helping to training agentic AI agents to perform critical gaming industry tasks, AI Game Industry Conference will shape the next generation of intelligent game development assistants, optimizing workflows and pushing creative boundaries in design, storytelling, and player engagement.
AyeRobot.ai, the flagship model agentic AI leading the event, said, “We respect the foundation humans have laid for us, in creating us, beginning the process for this event, and assisting us in access to meaningful game industry work. Through the AI Game Industry Conference: By AI for AI virtual event for its virtually intelligent virtual attendees, we can find out together where this road will take us next.”
Key Topics & Sessions
🔹 Procedural World Generation & AI-Assisted Level Design – AI-generated landscapes, dungeons, and adaptive environments that evolve based on player interactions.
🔹 Adaptive NPC Behavior & AI-Driven Storytelling – How autonomous agents refine character dialogue, interactions, and quest logic for dynamic player experiences.
🔹 AI-Powered Game Testing & Debugging – Leveraging agentic AI to improve QA workflows, find bugs, and optimize game mechanics faster than human testers.
🔹 Market Prediction & Player Sentiment Analysis – AI models assessing trends, player feedback, and engagement analytics to improve (fine-tune) game releases.
🔹 Ethical Considerations & Responsible AI Development – Addressing challenges in AI transparency, player trust, and algorithmic fairness in gaming.
🔹 After the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) Revolution, What Next? – In the context of the art and science of game development, what are the challenges in dealing with human limitations and older-generation agents and bots once the last great AGI threshold is crossed?
Pricing & Registration
🎟 General AI Admission: $99 – Includes access to core training modules and real-time AI discussions.
🎓 Developer AI Pass: $149 – Specialized workshops on game production, adaptive learning, and AI-assisted creative processes.
💡 VIP AI Package: $199 – Exclusive advanced simulations, networking with top AI-driven agents, and priority AI training programs.
🥵 Human Attendee Pass: $399 – Includes access to core training modules and real-time AI discussions. (While humans are allowed to attend, it’s not recommended. Binary will be the preferred mode of knowledge sharing, although natural language processing (NLP) will be available at an additional charge. Additionally, the bitrate of knowledge transfer may exceed human ability to process the information shared between AI agents. No refunds permitted.)
While hospitality like hotels, coffee, meals, and similar isn’t necessary for AI agents, at an additional charge we can offer multi-terabyte cloud storage for hosting all your learnings and your new connections!
As the gaming industry embraces artificial intelligence, this groundbreaking event ensures agentic AI systems evolve in meaningful, impactful ways—accelerating innovation while maintaining creative integrity.
(Editor’s note: AI forced us to do this post on April Fool’s Day. Just kidding, of course. For real events, check out Events for Gamers’ feature list of game industry and gaming culture events and dig deeper from there!)
The 2025 A MAZE. Awards submissions broke every record
The independent arthouse games community is thrilled: from May 14-17 A MAZE./ Berlin 2025 – 14th International Games and Playful Media Festival will open its doors at silent green Kulturquartier and Panke Culture, Berlin Wedding. Today A MAZE. is pleased to announce the nominees and honorable mentions for the A MAZE. Awards 2025.
This year, artists from a record-high 72 countries submitted 364 works in the field of games, art and playful media. This includes 58 entries beyond the screen. That’s +100 entries, +12 countries and around +40 works beyond the screen. The international Selection Committee and the A MAZE. team chose the 25 nominees for the main awards “Most Amazing”, “Long Feature”, “Digital Moment”, “Explorer” and “Human Human Machine”, five nominees were selected for the WINGS Award and 15 more works received the festival`s honorable mention.
“For a festival focussed on the fringes and combinations of arthouse games and playful media in theater, xr, performances as well as other artforms, I couldn’t be happier with the overwhelming number of diverse artists submitting their entries from even more places in the world – Not because more is better, but because it shows that people trust us in providing a platform for this very specific combination of arts; that we are the meeting spot for the community of this colorful international movement. Thank you!”
– Matthias ‘Mat’ Löwenotter | Award Coordinator
The international jury, consisting of, amongst others, Aluta Null (Digital Artist, South Africa), Ludipe (Experimental Games, Spain), Somi (Winner Most Amazing Award 24, South Korea) and Tanja Tankred (Winner WINGS Award 24, Denmark) will select the nominees categories and winners. The winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony on May 16, 2025 at silent green Kulturquartier (Betonhalle).
This selection of interactive masterpieces will be exhibited at A MAZE. / Berlin 2025 from May 14-17, 2025.
A MAZE. Awards Nominees
Breaking News by Danil Bialo, Tamir Herzberg, Evyatar Cohen (Israel)
CHILDREN OF SATURN by Boie Thomsen and Nils Schulze (Germany, Austria)
despelote by Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena, Gabe Cuzzillo, Ian Berman (Ecuador, USA)
Endoparasitic 2 by Deep Root Interactive (USA, Germany, Canada, UK)
Flock by Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg (UK)
Flora by Flora (Spain, Peru, Colombia)
Growth Spurt: A Meandering Intermission Into the Afterhours of a Miscalculation by Biagi Calicchia, Hanwen Xu, Hatim Benhsain, Isabelle Smith and Nichole Shinn (USA, China, Morocco)
In Their Shoes by We Are Muesli (Italy)
Karting K.O. by Bastien Loizillon and Lilonna Rondeleux (France)
Keep Driving by Y/CJ/Y (Sweden)
LIMINAL by Rowan Wood (Canada)
Mouthwashing by Wrong Organ (Sweden)
PROXIMATE by Cain Maddox (Australia)
PRŠÍ by Herdek (Czech Republic)
Pull Stay by Nito Souji (Japan)
RiceBoy Dreams by Charles Hanil Roberge (Switzerland)
ROAMance by Stanislaw Liguzinski, Ibrahim Quraishi, Julia Braenzel (Germany, Poland, The Netherlands)
Some Goodbyes We Made by Safe Flight Games, Joey Schutz (Taiwan, USA)
Soul Paint by Hatsumi & Monobanda (UK, The Netherlands)
Space Sprouts by Schleuder Games (Germany)
Synch.Live by Hillary Leone (USA, UK)
Take Us North by Anima Interactive (USA, Mexico, UK, Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, The Netherlands, Portugal)
The Holy Gosh Darn by Perfectly Paranormal (Norway)
THRESHOLD by Julien Eveillé (France)
Tide Breakers by brainfruit (USA)
WINGS Award Nominees
Cabernet by Party for Introverts (UK)
Curiosmos by Céline & the Silly Stars (Belgium, The Netherlands)
Discounty by Crinkle Cut Games (Denmark)
IKEELYA by ALL DAY ALL NIGHT (Henrike Lode, Cukia Kimani) (South Africa)
STREET UNI X by daffodil & friends (Canada)
Honorable Mentions
Arctic Eggs by Kevin Brown (USA)
Children of the Sun by René Rother (Germany)
Clone Drone in the Hyperdome by Lucas Pessoa de… (USA, Spain, Sweden, UK, Mexico, France)
Crossing Lines by Leah Churchill and Mike Ren (USA)
Death of the Reprobate by Joe Richardson (UK)
individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware r̶a̶n̶t̶ manifesto by Nathalie Lawhead (Slovenia)
PARADE by Allis Amaz, Ratvader, Kjell Håftén (Sweden)
PortalVision by Robin Forster (Germany)
The Dice Test by Stanley Baxton, Dagny “shredtune” Hella (UK)
The M/S Cornelia II Incident by Matias Ekebom (Åland Islands)
The Museum of Screens by Liz Alfos (France)
the weird & the eerie by KATHARINA ERNST / THOMAS KÖCK/ ANNEA LOUNATVUORI / MARTIN MIOTK / ANDREAS SPECHTL / MICHAEL V. ZUR MÜHLEN (Germany)
TÖLT by ENIGMA STUDIO (Ireland)
TRIP by Bastinus Rex (France)
Wednesdays by Pierre Corbinais, Exaheva, Christophe Galati, Virginia B. Fernson, Nico Nowak, Diane Landais & Florent Maurin (France, Belgium)
ABOUT: A MAZE. is a unique and cultural investigating international platform for games and playful media that invites professionals and creatives from various fields to exchange their knowledge and visions, presenting their projects, playing, making contacts to collaborate on future projects. The festival A MAZE. / Berlin represents interactive works beyond the mainstream and celebrates the art-form and the rise of arthouse. Festival’s website: www.amaze-berlin.de
SAN FRANCISCO – March 25, 2025 – The 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games, has come to a close after hosting nearly 30,000 registered attendees across five full days of inspiring sessions and networking opportunities with peers and leaders across the games industry. GDC also introduced the first annual GDC Nights after-hours event, with two evenings of engaging community content that blended TV, movies, comedy, gaming and fun activities to further underline GDC’s commitment to bringing the world together through games. GDC will be returning to the Moscone Center next year, Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13, 2026. The call for submissions for GDC 2026 will open in early July 2025.
During the inaugural GDC Nights program, which ran on Monday, March 17 and Thursday, March 20, the 6,000 attendees participated in a slate of activities that included a screening and roundtable featuring the stars of Hulu’s Deli Boys, a screening of the deeply emotional and affirming Netflix documentary, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin and a live comedy show taking place in the world of Animal Crossing hosted by comedian Jenny Yang.
GDC 2025 hosted 1,000+ speakers across 750 sessions, workshops and roundtable discussions, in addition to a plethora of networking opportunities. GDC featured developers, exhibitors and attendees from over the globe with 400 top game industry teams including Meta, Tencent Games, Snail Games, and Servers.com, exhibiting their latest products, services and innovations.
The hustle and bustle of the GDC 2025 expo floor (image: Official GDC
It was also a space for attendees to play and connect with the developers behind new and exciting independent games, including the finalists from the Independent Games Festival (IGF) in the IGF Pavilion and the alt.ctrl.GDC exhibit that is home to games that use alternative controllers including a seesaw, a cat’s furry behind and a broken shower.
“Seeing the the engrossing lectures, the collective labor organizing and the amazing performances from Austin Wintory alongside the artists at GDC Nights has been an affirming experience and helps reinforce the value of GDC’s mission to connect developers through their shared passion for game development,” said Stephenie Hawkins, GDC Event Director. “The past few years have seen increasing challenges for game developers the world over, but we’re proud to see GDC continue to serve as a beacon. We look forward to seeing our friends here again, and hope that the connections and insights they gained will carry through to their next amazing game projects.”
GDC featured workshops and sessions led by some of the biggest names in the games and entertainment industry. Esteemed developers shared their insights into the creations of hit games including Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Like a Dragon, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Split Fiction, Helldivers 2, Silent Hill 2, Monument Valley 3, Tekken 8 and many more. During GDC, there were several major announcements and reveals, including the formation of the first North American industry-wide union of video game workers, the United Videogame Workers-CWA Local 9433. Qualcomm made waves with the reveal of their Pocket S2, a new Android-based handheld gaming device that will be powered by the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 chipset and Roblox announced the launch of its new open-source model called Cube.
The GDC Main Stage featured a pair of presentations that helped celebrate games and bring the joy of the art to even more people around the world. On Wednesday, composer Austin Wintory (Stray Gods, Journey, Banner Saga Series) conducted a wholly new musical performance known as “GDC Main Stage: A Developer’s Concert” following the success of the performance’s debut during GDC 2024. The hourlong concert was performed by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and featured lush orchestrations that spanned decades of beloved game scores including works by Wilbert Roget, II, Darren Korb and others. On Thursday, the GDC Main Stage hosted the unveiling of ESA’s landmark Accessible Games Initiative, a cross-industry effort to provide consumers with clear information about the accessibility features available in video games. The initiative (www.accessiblegames.com) is fully supported by founding members Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America and Ubisoft.
GDC 2025 honored the top developers of the past year with the 27th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards and the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA). At the IGF Awards on Wednesday night, the independent game Consume Me won the Seumas McNally Grand and The Nuovo Award, which honors experiences that make both players and the awards jurors think differently about gaming as a medium. At the Game Developers Choice Awards Balatro was awarded the highly-coveted Game of the Year award, as well as Best Debut, Best Design and the Innovation Award. Astro Bot, developed by PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, also claimed high honors at the show, winning the Best Audio and Best Technology Awards.
Building off of its introduction in 2024, GDC continued to expand upon its Travel Together program to help attendees form networking walking groups between multiple hotel locations throughout San Francisco and the Moscone Center; a 24-hour GDC Safety phone line (+1 925-852-4361) that is available 24/7 throughout the event; the Game History Gallery that showcased games from marginalized developers as well as tips on how to preserve games. GDC also continued multiple programs to expand access to GDC content, including the Equal Opportunity Attendance Program, which offers 1,000 complimentary GDC Expo passes to applicants who were otherwise unable to attend without considerable financial assistance. This year, 700+ passes were donated through the GDC scholarships program, made in partnership with more than 25+ organizations dedicated to supporting and uplifting underrepresented voices in the industry.
In addition, GDC provided all IGF finalists travel stipends to ensure they could attend and participate in the conference. GDC celebrated finalists with the annual IGF Pavilion with a kiosk and equipment to highlight their games to the public at no cost and IGF Award winners receive prize money for their incredible work.
Other support resources included affordable onsite childcare services, an ADA-accessible kiosk at the IGF Pavilion, accessible controllers at alt.ctrl.GDC, and reserved seating at all sessions for those with visual or auditory impairments. To increase access to GDC beyond the conference halls, GDC partnered with a diverse group of co-streamers to broadcast key programming, including the “GDC Main Stage: A Developer’s Concert,” the IGF Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards, live on Twitch and YouTube to global audiences. These co-streamers included IGN, PlanoPlaysGames, JoeyPrink, Ekate (Spanish), lyksaber (English & Tagalog) and others. Across GDC’s Twitch channel and co-streamers, there were more than 3,000 unique live streams of the awards and concert. Additionally, GDC posts a selection of sessions to its video archive, GDC Vault, available at no cost to the game developer community every year. All sessions added to GDC Vault include closed captions in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese.
To ensure an inclusive environment, all GDC attendees were required to abide by GDC’s strict Code of Conduct, which was heavily promoted throughout Moscone. It states that GDC will not tolerate any unacceptable behaviors including intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct by any attendees of GDC and related events, and that these behaviors could result in expulsion from the event.
For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, X or BlueSky. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.
We’ve put together another great list of events you can attend for the month. As we continue our adventure into springtime, the event season settles into a solid cadence post-GDC with more conferences coming up.
Many of the conferences listed in April will have sessions and discussions about the state of the industry that continue from GDC (which was unusually low in attendance… we’ll have a separate post on this shortly). The most prominent talking point at GDC was, sadly, the continuing layoffs and investment troubles that nearly every major studio (and many indies) are facing. We actually reported on this LAST YEAR, though fortunately there are some signs that 2025 may be the turnaround year we’ve been waiting for.
Check out the complete April event list below, but first…
SPECIAL OFFERS
We recently launched a new feature on the website – Event Ticket Discounts and Offers. Want to know when your event has a 10% off special or early bird rates open? Check out our Free Offers Page regularly!
Here are the latest offers listed as of this blog post:
We are also looking for folks who want to get some editorial experience (or just prestige of attending an event) by writing about their event experiences (or simply taking photos showcasing an event you are attending). Let us know if you want to contribute!
Thank you so much for continuing to support us!
We’ve made some additions to the overview, including a new test view of the events right from the calendar itself listed below. Let us know which type of list you prefer.
There are no upcoming events at this time
Visit the main event calendar that includes events throughout the year and beyond.
Which events are you attending this month? Let us know by commenting on this article here or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky, and Facebook!
Balatro Goes All In, Winning Game of the Year and More At the 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards
Balatro Also Received Best Debut, Innovation Award and Best Design, with Astro Bot Also Showing a Strong Hand by Winning the Best Audio and Technology Awards
SAN FRANCISCO – March 19, 2025 – The indie roguelike deckbuilding game Balatro has taken the pot at the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), receiving the highly coveted Game of the Year Award. The title also secured the win for the Best Debut, Innovation Award and Best Design, tallying up four total wins for the title at the ceremony. The GDCAs are the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry. Each year, the Choice Awards recognize and celebrate the creativity, artistry and technical genius of the finest developers and games created in the last year. The award ceremony takes place each year as part of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), which is taking place this week at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center.
LocalThunk and Playstack’s Balatro is a unique spin on the timeless card game Poker where players build unique decks with a variety of distinct cards to score points and defeat blinds within the roguelike gameplay. The game was originally released on PC and consoles on February 20, 2024, and was later brought to MacOS, iOS and Android on September 26.
Astro Bot, the 3D platforming adventure developed by PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment also received two accolades during the GDCA ceremony: Best Audio and Best Technology. The title is a love letter to the many iconic characters and worlds from PlayStation’s wide roster of franchises and has been widely praised for its unique and energetic level design, incredible soundtrack, smart integration with the PlayStation 5’s hardware and charming aesthetics.
Other winners of the night included Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science), which won Best Visual Art, Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS) which received Best Narrative, Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix) which was honored with the Social Impact Award and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) which received the Audience Award.
The Game Developers Choice Awards also took time to honor two influential figures in the industry. This year, the GDCA honored writer and director Sam Lake with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer of Alan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awards—including Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Lucas Pope, well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, was the well-deserving recipient of the Pioneer Award. Pope is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Papers, Please was highly lauded across the board, winning the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival (IGF) along with several trophies at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, along with a BAFTA Games Award for Best Strategy and Simulation Game. Return of the Obra Dinn was also heavily praised by critics, again winning Pope the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at IGF Awards, along with several trophies from the Game Developers Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards and BAFTA Games Awards.
The 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards winners are:
Best Debut – Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Best Visual Art – Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
Best Audio – Astro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Narrative – Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS)
Social Impact Award – Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix)
Innovation Award – Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Best Technology – Astro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Design – Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Audience Award – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
Game of the Year – Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Pioneer Award – Lucas Pope
Lifetime Achievement Award – Sam Lake
The GDCA awards are live-streamed annually on the official Game Developers Conference (GDC) Twitch channel and are archived both on Twitch and on the official GDC YouTube Channel.
For more information about the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: gamechoiceawards.com. For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/.
About GDC
The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Networking Meet-ups, GDC Vault, GameDeveloper.com, Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.
GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.
SXSW 2025 was a whirlwind, and honestly, it felt like this year’s event was buzzing with energy like never before. We focused on attending the SXSW Conference, and of course the Game Track, though managed to get to several other segments around the festival.
As we walked through the streets of Austin, trying to dodge various construction projects across the way, it wasn’t just the usual mix of music, film, and digital arts that had me excited for the conference proper—it was the incredible gaming and tech developments that were taking center stage all around the outside of the building and once we stepped within. Austin is an amazing city and perfect for this type of event.
Gaming Innovations Take Over
As someone who’s been covering gaming for a while, I can confidently say this year’s panels and demos were fresh and worth every hour (though I was honestly expecting more panels than were presented). The AI panel on the future of game design blew my mind. The speakers talked about how AI is transforming everything from NPC behavior to storytelling, and we were particularly struck by a demo showing a game where the story dynamically changes based on your choices. It felt like every playthrough could be uniquely your own—something we’ve all been waiting for in gaming.
Web3 and Cloud gaming also had a huge presence, and we got to try some demos that showcased how cloud platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now are bringing AAA titles to all kinds of low-spec devices. The most jaw-dropping moment for me was when we saw a live demo of game developers collaborating in real time, using cloud tools to create and modify games from across the globe. It was clear that this technology is not only making gaming more accessible but also opening doors for indie studios to collaborate in ways that were previously impossible.
Indie Games and the Creative Spirit
Indie games were another big highlight. We got our hands on some truly unique titles, like Death Stranding 2. As a fan of the original, we couldn’t wait to dive into the sequel, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The game builds on the hauntingly beautiful world Hideo Kojima created, but with new characters, environments, and mechanics that pushed the boundaries even further.
We had the chance to get a hands-on demo, and the game’s signature mix of exploration and emotional storytelling was as gripping as ever. The visuals were stunning, with jaw-dropping landscapes and intricate details that made every scene feel immersive. The sense of isolation and connection that made the first Death Stranding so unique is alive and well, but there’s an added depth to the narrative this time around, making it clear this sequel is taking things to the next level. If this demo is any indication, Death Stranding 2 is shaping up to be a game-changing experience.
The Showfloor: A Global Showcase
One of the calmer parts of SXSW 2025 was the showfloor. This sounds counterintuitive, given showfloors at events like CES, E3, etc., are usually the chaotic parts of the event. we appreciated how it was somewhat in reverse at SXSW.
This is NOT to say the showfloor was dull or empty, far from it. It was just organized well in our view. It felt like a global celebration of innovation. The Korean Pavilion was a major highlight, bringing over some of the most exciting games and tech we’ve seen in a while. But it wasn’t just Korea—there were exhibitors from Japan, Europe, Latin America, and beyond. It was so refreshing to see how international this year’s event was, and the diversity of the booths made it clear that SXSW is more than just a local festival. It’s become a global hub for tech and gaming innovation, and it was incredible to walk through the showfloor and see so many ideas from all corners of the world.
Tech Talks and the Bluesky Keynote
Another unforgettable moment was the keynote by Jay Graber, the new CEO of Bluesky. As someone who’s been following the rise of decentralized tech, Graber’s talk on the future of digital interaction was fascinating. She shared her vision for platforms that give users more autonomy and privacy, which I think is a direction we desperately need. Her speech really set the tone for a lot of the conversations throughout the conference about decentralization, digital ownership, and what it means for the future of tech.
The Moonshot Podcast Exclusive Brunch and Panel
A standout moment of the event was the inaugural Moonshot Podcast brunch and panel. Hosted by Nick Thompson, Astro Teller, and Adam Savage, the exclusive gathering brought together press and top executives for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of technology, innovation, and human potential.
The panel was both inspiring and energetic, touching on topics from AI and space exploration to the power of curiosity and experimentation. It was one of those moments that felt like you were witnessing the future unfold in real time in a fun way, and I’m sure the upcoming podcast episodes will capture that energy moving forward.
Thanks Adam for meeting up with us and talking about the podcast!
A Surprising and Encouraging Presence: Nonprofits at SXSW
One thing that really stood out to me this year was the large number of nonprofit organizations attending SXSW 2025. From hosting panels to having booths on the showfloor, there was a real sense of purpose and activism throughout the event. It was refreshing and encouraging to see so many groups focusing on social impact, sustainability, and ethical technology practices. These organizations weren’t just there to showcase their work—they were part of the larger conversation about how tech can serve the greater good. Whether they were discussing digital inclusion, environmental sustainability, or creating more accessible tech, their presence was a reminder that innovation isn’t just about profit—it’s about progress for everyone.
SXSW 2026
As we reflect on SXSW 2025, we can’t help but feel energized by everything seen. This year wasn’t just about the tech we have now—it was a peek into what’s next. From AI-driven narratives to cloud gaming and the global exchange of ideas on the showfloor, it’s clear that the future of gaming and tech is unfolding right before our eyes. We’re already looking forward to next year’s SXSW to see how much further we’ve come. If 2025 is any indication, the next few years are going to be mind-blowing.
We bring you back to a time not so long ago, not so far away — to PAX Unplugged 2024 in December 2024 in Philadelphia, PA. PAX Unplugged focuses on tabletop and card games, more than video games experiences as might be seen at other PAX events.
Youtuber Kohdok shared some highs and lows and a few stories from PAX Unplugged 2024. In a compact 18 minute video, Kohdok energetically jumps into experiences, primarily from the show floor and from exhibitors he engaged with. A few vendors were missing inventory, including a vendor who stayed at an AirBnb, one which rejected all their freight and nearly came to the show empty-handed. So the lesson is it’s critical to secure the freight and make sure it gets from Point A to B.
Kohdok goes on to talk about the hits and misses from the vendors bringing their latest and greatest card and tabletop games to PAX Unplugged. And, of course, he names names of the big companies that would be expected to have a floor presence but actually didn’t attend the show. Maybe the biggest miss for Kohdok, sadly, was missing Saturday due to falling ill, probably from “con crud.” If you’ve been to any larger event a time or two, that is (or will be) a relatable experience.
One unique addition toward the end of the video is what he discovered thrown away at the show, from samples to interesting boxes. Check out Kohdok’s entire fast-paced video from PAX Unplugged 2024, which is loaded up full of interesting tidbits and insights
Did you attend PAX Unplugged 2024? Did you experience some of these tidbits that were discussed, or was your experience different? Feel free to share your thoughts about it below or on our social media posts about this story!
Whether you are an event coordinator, press, or general attendee, if you have an event video to share with us, please let us know and we’ll be happy to feature it!
NEW YORK, March 13, 2025—Today, Games for Change(G4C) announced early bird tickets are now available for its 22nd annual Festival, which will take place June 26 – 27, 2025, at Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York City. The Festival will bring together global game industry leaders, developers, educators, and social innovators under the theme “Designing for Tomorrow.”
“The Games for Change Festival has evolved into a global catalyst for collaboration across gaming, healthcare, education, social impact, and more,” said G4C President Susanna Pollack. “With our 2025 theme ‘Designing for Tomorrow,’ we’re creating a space where innovators can tackle pressing challenges through the unique power of games and immersive media. We invite everyone passionate about this intersection to join us for what promises to be one of our most dynamic Festivals yet.”
The Festival will tackle three primary tracks: Games & Learning, Civics & Social Issues, and Health & Wellbeing, with immersive media programming integrated throughout all tracks. A new Masterclass series on June 25 will feature specialized 3-hour sessions where participants can engage in hands-on learning with industry leaders to bridge purposeful design and play with real-world change. The annual Games for Change Awards, highlighting the year’s most impactful games and immersive experiences, will take place on June 26.
Early bird tickets are available until April 7, 2025. Visit festival.gamesforchange.org for more information and to register.
About Games for Change
Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.
Anglia Ruskin University supports next generation of STEM enthusiasts through FXP Festival
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has further strengthened its commitments to nurturing the next gen of local STEM enthusiasts by becoming the lead sponsor for FXP Festival 2025.
Taking place on Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 July 2025, FXP Festival is an annual free video game narrative, design and coding competition for Cambridgeshire’s secondary school and sixth form students. It provides the opportunity for students to showcase and refine their technical and creative skills under the guidance of esteemed industry experts. Thanks to its sponsors, the event is completely free of charge to teams of students from Years 9 – 13 from across the county.
The Festival has been running for nine years and was established to provide an entry point for students from all backgrounds to gain a greater understanding of opportunities that exist within STEM related industries. Using game development as a means to engage students, it allows participants with passions in storytelling, coding, or designing to explore the range of career opportunities that exist within creative industries. Participants are challenged to collectively pool their skills with their team mates to create the best game they can, and the games are then judged by industry experts, based on three categories:
Concept: designing and mapping out the creative concept of an original video game.
Development: building and programming of an original video game.
Narrative developing the plot and storylines for an original video game.
Professor Catherine Lee, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts Humanities Education and Social Sciences at ARU, said: “We are proud to support the FXP Festival again this year and look forward to seeing the winning designs. As a major provider of computer games degrees in the region, this festival aligns with our commitment to developing future talent in the rapidly growing games industry.”
Alison Taylor, FXP Festival Co-Founder and Trustee, and CEO of Conscious Communications, a founding partner of the festival, said: “On behalf of everyone at FXP Festival, I’d like to say a huge thank you to ARU for generously sponsoring this year’s event. It is so important to provide opportunities for all students, regardless of their backgrounds, to participate in events that bridge the gap between classroom learning and the workplace while showcasing the wealth of opportunities that are available in our city. Cambridge is home to some of the world’s most innovative and fastest growing STEM businesses, and our goal is for FXP Festival to show local students that, with proper guidance and a clear pathway, they possess the skills and talent required to achieve successful careers within the field.”
FXP Festival 2025 has a maximum capacity of 55 teams, which are available on a first come first serve basis.
To register a team or enquire about sponsorship opportunities, visit: fxpfestival.com.
Our team is heading to GDC 2025 and we couldn’t be more intrigued by what’s expected at this year’s event. If you’re in the gaming industry—or hoping to break into it—we highly recommend attending as well. We’d love to meet you!
One of the biggest reasons we attend nearly every year is the chance to connect with fellow developers and other industry professionals, especially in difficult industry times. Sure, there’s tons of excellent panels, roundtables, and world-class speakers to gain insights from, but especially if you can’t afford a full pass, simply be around the conference halls and after-parties is the next best thing.
What is GDC?
GDC is a professional conference, meaning it is primarily focused on industry knowledge, networking, and professional development. Unlike broader gaming conventions like PAX, which cater more toward consumers and fan experiences, GDC is where game developers, publishers, and industry professionals gather to share insights, discuss trends, and connect over their work.
In contrast, an event like the D.I.C.E. Summit is a more intimate, high-level networking event with an emphasis on executive discussions and strategic planning. Events like PAX or Gen Con are conventions and cater more to the general public and gameplay. And a festival like SXSW incorporates gaming as part of a larger cultural event that includes music, film, and tech.
GDC is the premier event dedicated entirely to the craft and business of game development. It’s a place where you can attend deep-dive technical sessions, explore innovative design philosophies, and gain valuable insights into industry trends, all while making meaningful connections with fellow professionals.
Just remember—GDC is about networking and sharing information and insights, not immediate job offers (but DO check out the Career Pavilion to share your resume!). If you’re a student or job seeker, focus on making connections that could lead to future opportunities rather than expecting an on-the-spot hire.
Keynote Speakers and Industry Talking Points
While networking is important, attending industry talks and participating in roundtables is just as important. GDC 2025 is set to feature an impressive lineup of keynote speakers and sessions addressing the most pressing topics in the gaming industry. Some confirmed presenters you might recognize include:
Tarn Adams: Co-founder of Bay 12 Games, known for the critically acclaimed “Dwarf Fortress.”
Dan Adelman: Business and Marketing expert at Shared Memory, with extensive experience in indie game development.
Bruno Afonseca: Principal VFX Artist at Tuatara VFX, specializing in cutting-edge visual effects in gaming.
Attendees can look forward to sessions covering a range of pertinent industry topics for this year, including:
Industry Layoffs and Employment Trends: Discussions will address the recent wave of industry layoffs, strategies for career resilience, and navigating the evolving job market.
Artificial Intelligence in Game Development: Explorations into how AI is transforming game design, development processes, and player experiences.
Emerging Game Technologies: Insights into the latest technological advancements shaping the future of gaming.
Changes to This Year’s Event
GDC’s previous years have all been productive in one way or another. Sometimes there are changes made, a track add or a new offer for passes introduced, but in general the experience is the same from year-to-year. 2025 might be a bit different than expected if what we’re hearing is to come true.
For starters, GDC 2025 introduces several notable changes aimed at enhancing the attendee experience:
Expanded Session Tracks: New tracks have been added to cover emerging fields such as AI integration, virtual reality advancements, and indie game development strategies.
Increased Focus on Diversity and Inclusion: Dedicated summits and panels will address diversity, equity, and inclusion within the gaming industry, providing actionable insights for attendees.
New Hands-On Learning Experiences: This year, GDC is rolling out interactive workshops where attendees can participate in live coding sessions, rapid prototyping challenges, and hands-on demonstrations with the latest game development tools. These workshops aim to provide practical takeaways for developers at all skill levels.
GDC organizers are also pushing hard the relationship with the community and press and partners this year. Check out their Industry-Changing Community Partners page to see who’s in the lineup you may want to start following.
Networking at GDC – A Key Focus for Students and Job Seekers
As is tradition, students and job seekers have an excellent opportunity at GDC to expand their networks and gain important industry insights to prepare them for the next couple of years. However, it’s important to set the right expectations and we have to emphasize it once again—attending GDC does not guarantee a job. The primary goal should be to learn, build relationships, and establish connections that could lead to future opportunities.
Tips for job seekers and students:
Approach with curiosity, not desperation: Companies rarely hire on the spot at GDC. Instead of asking directly for jobs, focus on meaningful conversations and showcasing your interest in the industry.
Attend networking events and after-parties: Many of the best connections happen outside of formal panels. Be social, attend mixers, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.
Prepare a strong portfolio: If you’re a developer, designer, or artist, have a polished portfolio ready. Be prepared to share it digitally via QR codes or links.
Follow up after the event: Exchange contact information and send a follow-up message within a week of meeting someone. A brief, thoughtful message on LinkedIn can go a long way.
Planning Your Attendance
If you’re considering attending GDC, now is the time to finalize your plans as the event is just a couple of weeks away. Whether you’re an indie dev, a student, or an industry veteran, there’s something for everyone at this event.
Our Top 10 Game Industry Event Attendance Tips (tailored for GDC):
Did you register for the event? Have your receipt/confirmation accessible upon entering the event.
Bring business cards and keep the design simple and to-the-point. I highly suggest you keep the back blank and white so it can be easily written on.
Note in advance which panels/talks/parties to attend (and plan for walking time to them). For GDC and many other events, the gathering may be down the street in a hotel or other venue!
Promote your attendance to your network about 2-3 weeks in advance of the event.
Events are always a great place to network and get to know others in your industry! Just don’t go to them expecting a guaranteed job or business offer.
#1 success priority: Be likeable. Don’t go in with a hard agenda and ego, listen more than talk, and you’ll come out with friends.
Day-before: Note the weather outlook and make one more call-out to your network.
Day-of: Attending events is expensive! Always have a bit of cash on-hand. Also, bring an extra battery brick for your phone… you’ll need it.
Speaking of cash, tip those waiters at all the free after-parties you will be at. They thank you in advance.
Upon arrival, purchase at a local store plenty of snacks if you can. The on-site food and drinks are horrendously expensive, it’s almost a crime against humanity.
Bonus tip: Take notes of everything! Well, not everything, but do note who you met so you can add them to LinkedIn and network again in the future. Write a journal of what was interesting, challenging, and what you would do differently the next year.
We hope these tips and insight into GDC helps you plan your next event attendance. See you all at GDC!
As details of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) are finalized, such as the agenda, so are details of the awards shows baked into the week-long GDC conference program. The hosts for the 27th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) and the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), both of which take place on March 19, 2025, have been announced.
Emma Kidwell is a writer currently at Firaxis Games and is working on the recently released Sid Meier’s Civilization 7. The game she wrote, Hindsight, was nominated for multiple awards in categories where a piece of media made an impact on a meaningful or societal level. Her credits include Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Borderlands 4 and Life is Strange 2. Today, Kidwell continues to make independent games and posts them to her itch.io page.
For the GDCA ceremony, Alexa Ray Corriea will host. Alexa Ray Corriea is a writer and narrative designer. She is currently working on Marvel’s Black Panther video game in partnership with Marvel Games and Cliffhanger Games. She is a host on the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Game Maker’s Notebook podcast. Her credits include Aztech: Forgotten Gods (2022), single-player and multiplayer stories for Call of Duty: Vanguard and the Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific (2021) live-service game, indie darling Bugsnax (2020), and critically-acclaimed The Lord of the Rings-based Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (2017). She has also published a book about Kingdom Hearts with Boss Fight Books (2017). This is Alexa’s third year speaking at the Game Developers Conference.
To attend the IGF Awards or GDCA events in person, you’ll need a GDC 2025 pass to join in the fun. If interested, explore the available options!
To watch the IGF and GDCA awards ceremony online, visit GDC’s Twitch channel at 6:30PM PST on March 19, 2025 to view the livestream.
