Organizers for the upcoming Game Developers Conference are expecting more attendees this year than last year, but the number of crypto and blockchain attendees is way down.
Key Details
- Organizers of this year’s Game Developers Conference expect 24,000 attendees, a jump from the 17,000 last year but still small compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- The conference had record attendance in 2019, with over 29,000 people attending, making this year the closest to reaching that peak again.
- Web3 and blockchain gaming was a hot topic at last year’s conference, but speakers have slowed down this year, and esports has been dropped almost entirely.
- The conference will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from March 20-24 with no virtual attendance options.
Why it’s news
In 2019, the Game Developers Conference had a record-breaking year bringing over 29,000 people to San Francisco for the conference.
The pandemic hit, causing many events to be canceled, including GDC 2020. The conference was held virtually in 2021 before being held in person again in 2022, but it did not get as many attendees as hoped.
The pandemic caused many people not to want to attend events in person as much as they did before, which was reflected in last year’s attendance numbers falling to 17,000.
This year’s conference is expected to grow closer to pre-pandemic levels, with an expectation of 24,000 guests to attend the conference. Anyone attending must bring proof of vaccination or present a negative COVID test.
The conference will focus on sessions designed to help developers build their careers, according to organizers. Last year’s show had an influx of Web3 and blockchain gaming presenters, but the numbers are falling short this year.
Esports has almost been eradicated from the conference as the sector has rapidly decreased as many are concerned that esports aren’t profitable. Multiple big talks are scheduled for the upcoming show, including former Blizzard co-president Jen Oneal, The executive producer of the New York Times’ gaming division speaking on Wordle, Bandai Namco’s chief Tamagotchi officer, lead designers at Nintendo, and many more.
