Game Developer Conference (GDC) is one of the world’s leading events for game developers, bringing together programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, and business leaders to network, collaborate and celebrate all things games. The event is held annually in San Francisco and is a must-attend event for developers around the globe who want to connect with business leaders and games practitioners.
For the first time, Screen NSW supported five NSW developers, with games to market, to travel to San Francisco for the conference, through the GDC 2025 Market Travel Program. The cohort included:
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Marty Burgess, CEO and Co-Founder of Lightning Forge Games
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John Daskalopoulos, CEO and Founder of Not Doppler
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Matthew Lucis, Solo-developer of Silver Stitch Productions
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Pat Naoum, Creator of The Master's Pupil
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Adam Younis, Director of Uppon Hill
Below, these leading NSW developers share their insights, highlights and key takeaways from GDC 2025, and advice for future attendees.
What were you most looking forward to about attending GDC 2025?
Marty Burgess (MB): GDC is a highlight of the year for any game developer, from industry veterans to students and people new to the industry. Each year, it's an incredible experience to both connect with other developers, see the latest tech and innovation on display, and hear some truly inspiring talks on a wide range of topics!
John Daskalopoulos (JD): Definitely the networking and face-to-face meeting opportunities. During GDC week, tens of thousands of game industry professionals transcend upon San Francisco. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet various business contacts in person, knowledge-share with industry peers from around the world, and make new connections that otherwise would not have been formed.
Matthew Lucis (ML): Honestly, being able to go at all! This was my first GDC, so most of my excitement swelled around simply being able to attend a games convention of this size. People had often said "Will I see you at the next GDC?", so actually being able to attend had an aura of professional success, that I had made it as a game developer!
Pat Naoum (PN): My excitement was two-sided this year, as GDC is always a great time to hang out with other game devs from Australia and all over the world. But this year I was pitching again, so there was some genuine excitement to hone those skills and find a publisher that would be interested in my new game.
Adam Yonis (AY): I was really motivated by the prospect of getting a clearer picture of the opportunity for my game's funding and expanding my professional network in an international setting.
Did you have any goals you wanted to achieve at the conference (i.e. networking, attend specific events or see particular exhibitions)?
MB: As the CEO of a young studio, our goals for GDC '25 were to increase awareness of who we are and what we're building, as well as establish connections with potential publishing partners, investors and VC's to allow us to expand and grow the studio. We also had multiple opportunities to showcase our debut title, Gladiator Mayhem, at events including the Helika Demo Day and Australian Indie Showcase!
JD: This year I had three main goals for the GDC week: 1. Meet with international business managers for platforms we distribute on, to discuss ways we can maximise our opportunities for success on those platforms and discuss ways we can achieve additional ongoing support, particularly for our title Earn to Die Rogue which has had a strong launch year.
2. Meet with platforms that we don't currently distribute to, to explore opportunities for current and future games.
3. Finally, meet with founders and CEOs of overseas studios to discuss the current state of the industry, discuss current market challenges and opportunities, and learn about pathways others have found to ongoing success.
ML: Learning and networking. The number of fantastic summits given at GDC is incredible, and I was excited to attend as many as I could. Additionally, I was looking forward to meeting as many like-minded professionals as possible; devs, artists, publishers, and anyone else who was passionate about producing quality games.
PN: I was focused on getting in front of game scouts to pitch. GDC gives the opportunity to create a personal connection to start to grow a publishing relationship. Plus the Australian Showcase and the Indie BYOG showcase are two wonderful events that allow a great meshing of all sorts of industry folk. Always a great time.
AY: My goal was to get into as many productive conversations as possible to help direct the strategic future of my project. I understood part of this would include engaging in satellite events and making informal connections, and was glad to find that these proved worthwhile to attend. I also made a point of picking a few key talks to attend, which were also very insightful and enjoyable.
As a developer, what were some of your key takeaways from GDC 2025?
MB: The games industry has weathered a rough past 12-24 months, but overall, the sentiment I took from GDC 2025 was that of optimism and innovation, with studios looking to leverage new, exciting technologies such as AI to deliver new experiences to players and communities around the globe.
JD: The industry is still very much in a rediscovery phase after the COVID boom period. But whilst there are lots of challenges, there are also always pockets of opportunities. So, it is about finding those opportunities and ways to best position you and your studio for success. The game industry is constantly changing, and being complacent with old ways of working can quickly find you and your studio falling behind.
ML: You never stop learning, and both going to the summits and meeting with people for advice proved invaluable! Hearing about cool concepts, people's own experiences, and numerous industry practices was both beneficial and invigorating, and I left with a renewed passion!
PN: This year specifically was a strange one. The industry and the USA are in times of fluctuation, to put it lightly. But I did get a real sense that smaller indie development is still key in the industry and still able, more than ever, to be successful.
AY: The big takeaway is that there's a growing tension between market forces and the more personal creative factors that drive indie projects. A post-COVID market, the growth of AI, and changes in media and communication create pressure towards lower risk endeavors validated by research trends, particularly around Steam metrics. There's also pressure for devs to independently demonstrate demand through social media and steam wishlists. This being the case, the call to publish outside of the traditional media channels, or self-publish entirely, becomes more viable. I'm personally considering these factors for my own project.
What was your highlight from the conference?
MB: Pitching Lightning Forge Games, and our revolutionary LFG Agents to a room full of industry veterans, and some of the largest investors and VC's in gaming at the Helika Demo Day was an experience I will never forget!
JD: Above all, the networking and meeting opportunities! GDC gives opportunities to meet with business managers that might normally be hard to get a hold of outside of the GDC week, which can be hugely beneficial in opening up new opportunities. Plus, the sheer volume of industry professionals in the one city gives access to a large volume of both formal and informal meetings; which is great for knowledge share and opening up new ways of thinking.
ML: Getting invited to present my project at the Australian Showcase the day I was to leave Australia for the conference. It meant haphazardly packing my showcasing kit and preparing to present on day one, but from it I got to show my work to a totally new audience and I was able to make some incredible and supportive new friends that I had wonderful adventures with throughout the trip.
PN: The indie community is always so heartwarming and endlessly interesting. Through this travel grant specifically we were able to group together for support, as well as pull in other Australians and indies into a wonderful and fun group. Another highlight was Alt:Ctrl, a competition in GDC all about alternative control systems. Always a fun time.
AY: Broadly, celebrating game development in a social setting like GDC is really important in a profession that can at times be so demanding and isolating. Personally, getting to make new acquaintances with similar interests and meet up with contacts that I'd only previously met online was a real treat, and extremely valuable for personal morale. I have an audience online predominantly comprised of fellow developers, so meeting people whose journey I've had some positive influence on was very special.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about going to GDC in the future?
MB: If you're serious about the business of making games, GDC needs to be on your to-do list each year. There simply is no other event globally where you'll have so many developers, studios and publishers come together to drive this industry forward. I'm incredibly appreciative to Screen NSW for the opportunity to represent our local developer community at GDC 2025 and hope to have that opportunity again in the future!
JD: Book accommodation and conference tickets ahead in time as prices are typically higher closer to the conference date. Use websites like GDC Hotels to save on hotel costs. Book key meetings well in advance as schedules can book out fast. And also take time to look into all of the various side-events that occur throughout the week -- there's a lot of interesting events and gatherings outside of the GDC conference itself.
ML: Plan ahead, but also accept that you can't plan for everything, especially for a conference of this scale. Some of my best moments came from last-minute choices and putting myself out there. Go with the flow, meet new people, join random events, jump into random talks, and chase those opportunities; you never know what might happen!
PN: Get organised as early as you can, get MeetToMatch, event tickets etc. Also, be ready for a bit of culture shock, the US often seems like a big Australia, but it's actually quite different in many ways!
AY: I think if you have the disposable income to invest in the experience for the intangible opportunities rather than immediate outcomes, you're likely going to have an excellent time. There will always be too many things going on for you to know whether you're "in the right room" at any given time, so don't put too much pressure on it. If you do need to set up very specific meetings, try and set those up six weeks in advance, if possible, as schedules fill very quickly.
Image: Game Developer Conference 2025. Supplied by Game Developer Conference.
