The 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC), held March 18–22 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, brought together thousands of industry professionals for a week shaped as much by uncertainty as innovation. Against a backdrop of widespread layoffs and ongoing political tensions, the event featured a reduced show floor, scaled-back recruitment activity, and fewer big-budget booths—yet remained a critical meeting point for developers, publishers, and creators.
This year’s highlights included Balatro sweeping the GDC Awards, the formation of the first-ever industry-wide union for game developers, and the launch of a major accessibility tagging initiative led by top publishers. The conference also drew attention to growing international concerns, with several Canadian and European developers opting out of attendance due to escalating U.S. border and safety issues. Despite the subdued tone, GDC 2025 remained a reflection of the gaming industry’s resilience—and the mounting pressure for reform.
Balatro Sweeps GDC Awards
The annual Game Developers Choice Awards, held on March 19, were headlined by Balatro, which swept all four categories it was nominated in, including Game of the Year and Best Design. Other notable winners included Astro Bot, taking home Best Audio and Best Technology; Metaphor: ReFantazio for Best Narrative; and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which won the Audience Award.
The awards also honored two prominent figures: Lucas Pope received the Pioneer Award, and Remedy’s Sam Lake was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of contributions to storytelling and game design.
Full List of Key Winners:
- Game of the Year: Balatro
- Best Audio: Astro Bot
- Best Debut: Balatro
- Best Design: Balatro
- Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Best Technology: Astro Bot
- Best Visual Art: Black Myth: Wukong
- Innovation Award: Balatro
- Social Impact Award: Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Audience Award: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Industry Unionizes Amid Layoff Crisis
GDC 2025 marked a major turning point for labor organization in gaming. The United Videogame Workers-CWA, the first industry-wide union for game developers, was formally announced during the conference. It is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America and allows direct membership regardless of current employment status. This move comes in response to widespread layoffs, studio closures, and concerns over working conditions in the wake of COVID-era growth and subsequent industry contraction.
The union is organizing a petition demanding better layoff protocols, continued healthcare coverage, and employee say over technologies like generative AI. Organizers emphasized that the union was created to secure long-term dignity and sustainability for all game workers, including freelancers and those recently laid off.
The formation of United Video Game Workers-CWA is an exciting next step in our union’s work to help video game workers build power in their industry
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr
Accessibility Becomes a Priority
Accessibility was also a central focus of this year’s event. In a joint initiative, the ESA and major game publishers including Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft announced the launch of a new system of accessibility tags. These tags will appear on game storefronts to help consumers identify key accessibility features before purchasing, such as customizable input, visual aid options, and gameplay modifications like save-anywhere features.
The initiative is intended to standardize how accessibility is communicated and was developed in collaboration with advocacy groups and players with disabilities.
Rising Tensions Impact International Attendance
While overall attendance remained strong, political tensions between the United States and other nations—particularly Canada—cast a shadow over the event. Several Canadian developers opted to cancel their trips to San Francisco due to escalating safety concerns, shifting U.S. immigration policies, and anxiety over civil rights under the current U.S. administration.
These concerns weren’t limited to Canada. International developers expressed growing discomfort with U.S. travel, citing fears about border detainments, political repression, and discrimination.
A Vital Industry at a Crossroads
GDC 2025 captured the dual nature of today’s game industry: rich in creativity and innovation, but fraught with instability. From award-winning indie titles to labor activism and international tensions, this year’s event offered both a celebration of the medium and a wake-up call about the challenges developers face moving forward.
