Informa Tech, the organizers behind the Game Developers Conference(GDC), has announced digital/physical hybrid events to be hosted this year and next year. This will be the first of its kind for GDC, with GDC Summer 2021 being the inaugural event for this format. GDC Summer 2020 was moved to an all-digital showcase following the cancellation of its physical event. The new hybrid structure for upcoming GDC events remains predicated on the ever-changing COVID-19 global health crisis. The announcement speaks to the ongoing situation, and how they plan to address it, saying “With the inability to meet in person for the near future, organizers are expanding multiple aspects of its program.”
If everything goes ahead, the physical portion of GDC 2021 will be held at the Moscone Theatre in San Francisco. It’s a five-day event, spanning from July 19th to July 23rd, including both the digital and physical portions. In their announcement, organizers describe the digital offering as “robust”, and share their desire to offer multiple attendance options to fans. They also took the time to reveal the GDC Master Classes, said to be launching later this year. These classes are described as “day-long and multi-day virtual workshops featuring deep-dive looks at particular aspects of the game development craft.”
A week-long “GDC Community Celebration” livestream will be held from March 1st through March 5th, 2021. This will feature behind the scenes lectures on next year’s top games. Q&A sessions, and “high profile talks” are also listed as part of the lineup, though there are no confirmed speakers yet. Their statement promises they will extend invitations and confirm attendees and sponsorship programs “over the coming weeks and months.” More information on this event as well as GDC Summer 2021 will be made available on the GDC website.