GDC attendance down 33%
GDC 2026 attendance fell 33% to roughly 20,000 this week — organizers and studios point to layoffs, higher costs and travel worries as the main drivers (gaminghq.eu). Even so, indies shone: Basketball Classics launched across modern consoles for $9.99, and Hoarder — from a Darkwood co‑creator — debuted as a horror‑meets‑cleaning sim concept at the show ( ).
GDC ran under a new name, the “GDC Festival of Gaming,” and organizers said roughly 20,000 unique attendees came from more than 85 countries this year. (gamesbeat.com) This turnout is the lowest single-year figure since 2011, when about 19,000 people attended, reversing the growth that pushed the conference to over 30,000 in 2024. (gamesindustry.biz) The week nevertheless ran more than 700 sessions, featured roughly 1,100 speakers and hosted over 300 exhibitors, according to post-show totals from organizers. (gamesbeat.com) GDC’s own 2026 State of the Game Industry survey drew responses from more than 2,300 professionals and reported that 28% of respondents had been laid off in the past two years, rising to 33% for U.S.-based workers. (gdconf.com / businesswire.com) Organizers and reporting attributed the attendance decline to a mix of industry layoffs, rising attendance and travel costs, visa and immigration fears for international visitors, and some companies redirecting budgets to other events like Develop:Brighton and Tokyo Game Show. (gamesindustry.biz / gamesbeat.com) Indie highlights at the smaller show included Basketball Classics’ console launch across PlayStation, Xbox and Switch at a $9.99 price point (10% launch discount reported), and Hoarder — led by Darkwood co‑creator Gustaw Stachaszewski — surfacing as a horror-tinged cleaning‑sim that is wishlisted for PC and confirmed for PS5/Xbox Series. (gematsu.com / pcgamer.com) Organizers said the Festival of Gaming will return in 2027 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, with plans to iterate on the rebrand after community feedback. (gamesindustry.biz)
