“It doesn’t feel safe”—Many international game developers plan to skip GDC in US

Tens of thousands of game developers and producers will once again gather in San Francisco, as they have since 1988, for the weeklong Game Developers Conference.

“This week, tens of thousands of game developers and producers will once again gather in San Francisco, as they have since 1988, for the weeklong Game Developers Conference”

Ars Technica

This year many international developers say they plan to skip the show because they no longer feel comfortable traveling to the United States.

Ars Technica

Dozens of developers who spoke to Ars in recent months said they were wary of traveling to a country that has shown a "callous disregard for—or outright hostility toward—the safety of international travelers," especially people from minority groups, those with transgender identities, and those who fear scrutiny for outspoken political beliefs.

"I honestly don't know anyone who is not from the US who is planning on going to the next GDC," Godot Foundation Executive Director Emilio Coppola, who's based in Spain, told Ars.

"We never felt super safe, but now we are not willing to risk it."