GDC 2026 was unlike any other, thanks to AI and layoffs

Now, as an adult returning to San Francisco to attend the Game Developers Conference this year, it seems that the party isn’t over at all. It’s just walled off, filled with trendy vending trucks, and plastered with advertisements for products exclusively aimed at CEOs. Anyone is welcome. All you need is a few thousand dollars, a strong ability to compartmentalize, and a QR code.