International Devs Are Reportedly Withdrawing From Gdc Amid Ice And Safety Fears. But The Event’s Organizer Says Turnout Looks Good

The Game Developers Conference, an annual event where game developers from all over the world come to show off new technologies, ideas, and other gaming-related goodies, is reportedly bringing in lower numbers this year amid rising costs and fears of the current safety environment in the US amid heightened ICE activities.

"Far fewer staff" are coming to the 2026 GDC, "a multitude of senior industry figures" told Mobilegamer.biz on Jan. 29. "Concerns over US immigration, safety and costs" are the primary reasons, with developers from "large, mid-sized and smaller game companies" voicing particular worries over the current situation with ICE in the United States.

According to Mobilegamer.biz, Netspeak Games chief executive Callum Cooper-Brighting said the company's "immediate sense of woke" and support for LGBTQ+ communities is something he doesn't "feel like is welcome in America at the moment," which has prompted him to abstain from participating in this year's GDC. Other executives from big and smaller companies echoed similar sentiments, though socio-cultural issues aren't the only reason some aren't coming.

Rising costs and the question of whether attendance at the GDC is even worth it have prompted certain developers into rethinking their visit. Marco Minoli, the marketing director at Slitherine Games, said the GDC has failed to "adapt to a changing market, offer fair pricing for its educational content or address the logistical hurdles," which is why the company is only sending one person this year.

However, GDC says turnout is looking good and that hasn't yet "seen" cancellations by international developers. As per GamesIndustry.biz, attendance at the conference is "tracking in line with expectation." Regional variance indicates some regions have poorer attendance, while others are on the upside.

It could be that most of the companies that toned their attendance down could be smaller ones, making a less significant dent in the total numbers. We just have to take GDC's word for it, but it seems the conference is facing mounting issues, from the political climate in the US to its positioning in the market.

The rise of AI and other business-oriented conferences that were once made by and for gamers could have also impacted these changes, though we'll have to wait to see how it'll play out in the coming years.

One thing's for certain, though: it's a very rough time we're living in.

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