A number of game studios and executives say they plan to skip the 2026 Game Developers Conference, citing safety concerns linked to heightened U.S. immigration scrutiny and ICE activity, among several other factors. As a result, this year’s GDC could look markedly different from recent editions of the event.

GDC is scheduled to take place between March 9 and 13 in San Francisco. The upcoming edition of the annual event has been rebranded as the “GDC Festival of Gaming,” with organizer Informa Festivals pitching it as a broadened, ecosystem-wide B2B industry gathering. Organizers say the shift is informed by community feedback and includes a simplified ticket structure aimed at making the show more accessible to smaller developers and independent studios compared to previous years, alongside a stronger emphasis on networking and cross-industry connections.