2025-03-27
GDC 2025 brought together some of the most significant voices and innovations shaping the future of games, including a fantastic gathering at our mixer with SYBO. Here we highlight some of the show news that caught our eye, including some snippets that impact the broader digital economy...
GDC 2025 Celebrates the Best in Indie Gaming
This year’s GDC 2025 shone a spotlight on independent developers, showcasing a vibrant slate of titles pushing creative and technical boundaries. Standout games included Dreams of Another, Faraway and Haste: Broken Worlds, with a host of other titles also reflecting strong storytelling, unique mechanics, and stylistic innovation. We think the event reaffirmed GDC’s role as a global platform for creative experimentation, with the indie space increasingly viewed as a testbed for genre evolution and emerging tech. Read more
ESA Launches Major Accessibility Initiative
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced a new accessibility-focused initiative at GDC, aimed at making video games more inclusive for players with disabilities. The initiative will offer grants, toolkits, and best practice resources to studios of all sizes. ESA’s move comes as accessibility becomes a critical standard in game development, driven by consumer demand and advocacy within the industry. We hope that the programme reflects a broader commitment to universal design principles and inclusive innovation within our sector. Read more
Balatro Wins Big at GDC Awards 2025
Indie hit Balatro emerged as the standout success of the GDC Awards 2025, securing multiple wins including Game of the Year. Developed by LocalThunk, the game blends deck-building mechanics with roguelike elements, earning widespread acclaim for its creativity and replayability. Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Black Myth: Wukong and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also picked up gongs. Read more
Activision Shares Mobile Launch Lessons
Activision’s mobile team shared insights at GDC on the successful launch of Call of Duty: Mobile, advising developers to "copy what works" – including UI patterns, control schemes, and monetisation strategies that players already understand. The session emphasised the importance of recognisability and intuitive design in mobile game development, particularly when adapting console IPs to mobile platforms. Read more
NVIDIA Showcases AI’s Transformative Impact on Game Development
NVIDIA demonstrated how AI is reshaping game development pipelines, from procedural world-building to voice generation and NPC behaviour. Using proprietary tools and generative models, the company showcased AI’s potential to reduce production costs and accelerate development cycles. The firm’s GDC presentation positioned AI not only as a backend enabler, but as a creative collaborator, promising to democratise content creation and elevate player experiences. Read more
Netflix Games: “We Must Disrupt to Compete”
Netflix Games leadership outlined its vision for becoming a major player in interactive entertainment, stressing the need to "cause disruption" rather than follow trends. The platform has been steadily expanding its games catalogue and experimenting with transmedia storytelling and in-app integration. With ambitions to create content that connects its vast streaming audience to playable experiences, Netflix is aiming to build a hybrid entertainment model that challenges traditional gaming norms. Read more
We’re about to get way more Waymos
Alphabet’s autonomous driving division Waymo filled our LinkedIn feeds last week as everyone in games visiting San Francisco appeared to be taking rides in one! Fully electric, and powered 100% by renewables, it’s a taxi that ticks a lot of boxes here at PlanetPlay. The service has been such a success that it has just been extended to Washington, D.C., marking its sixth US market. Certainly, one to keep an eye if you like your tech and travel to be sustainable. Read more
Wow What A Mixer!
And finally… Huge thanks to our friends at SYBO for co-hosting an awesome GDC mixer with us, and to everyone who came along for a drink and a chat. It was great to catch up with so many of you, and we can’t wait to do it all again in 2026!
Image Credit: GDC