"I honestly don't know anyone who is not from the US who is planning on going to the next GDC. We never felt super safe, but now we are not willing to risk it. - Godot Foundation Executive Director Emilio Coppola, based in Spain, expressing widespread concerns among international developers about attending the conference."
"The value of in-person events has kind of stepped off since COVID pushed things virtual. - An anonymous developer reflecting on how the pandemic fundamentally changed perceptions about the necessity and value of traveling internationally for in-person conference attendance."
The 2025 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco faces reduced international attendance as developers from minority groups, transgender individuals, and those with political concerns express reluctance to travel to the United States. Many developers cite perceived hostility toward international travelers and safety concerns as primary reasons for avoiding the event. This hesitation intensified following the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted developers to question the necessity of in-person conference attendance. The shift toward virtual alternatives during lockdowns further reduced perceived value of traveling internationally for the conference. Developers from various countries report feeling unwelcome and unsafe, marking a significant change in participation patterns for an event that has convened annually since 1988.
#travel-safety-concerns #game-developers-conference #international-travel #immigration-and-border-issues #virtual-events-impact
Read at Ars Technica
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