GDC 2027 Runs Five Days at Moscone Center
The GDC Festival of Gaming 2027 takes place March 1 to 5, 2027 at the Moscone Center, 747 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103. Registration is open.
The pass list covers the programme across five days: sessions and talks, the Festival Hall, the showcase floors, and the awards evenings. GDC Nights carries the Developer's Concert, the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Independent Games Festival Awards.
The Early Rate and Its Cut-Off
The page states one instruction at the top of the pass list: register by December 11 at 11:59pm PT to lock in the Early Rate. The Super Early Rate ended on Friday, October 9 at 11:59pm PT.
Two passes drive the group arithmetic. A Festival pass costs $549 at the Early Rate and carries the full GDC Program sessions and talks, the Festival Hall from Tuesday to Thursday, GDC Nights, Business Hall access with guest meeting passes and reservable meeting spaces, and the Friday Career Faire in West Hall. A Game Changer pass costs $1,249 at the Early Rate and adds the Game Changer Lounge with light bites, daily lunch, reserved seating at the keynotes, awards and concert, and a one-year GDC Vault subscription.
Five further passes sit on the same table. An Indie or Start-Up pass costs $299 on application. An Academic pass costs $299 and requires an accredited educational email address. A Festival Hall Only pass costs $175 and a Business Hall Only pass costs $125. A 1-Day Career pass costs $125 for Friday, March 5. A standalone GDC Vault subscription lists at $649 at the Early Rate.
The Group Discount: 10 Percent at Ten or More
The group line reads, "10+ people = 10% off current Festival or Game Changer pass prices." The route is one form for the whole group, requested from the GDC Group Registration Team.
The FAQ adds two conditions. The discount applies to ten or more Game Changer or Festival pass registrations. It cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions, including the alumni rate.
The Arithmetic for Ten Buyers
Ten Festival passes at the Early Rate come to $5,490. Ten percent of that is $549, so the group total is $4,941, or $494.10 per person. The saving per Festival seat is $54.90.
Ten Game Changer passes at the Early Rate come to $12,490. Ten percent is $1,249, so the group total is $11,241, or $1,124.10 per person. The saving per Game Changer seat is $124.90.
A mixed ten works the same way. Five Festival and five Game Changer passes at the Early Rate come to $8,990, and the discount brings that to $8,091. Eight Festival and two Game Changer passes come to $6,890, and the discount brings that to $6,201.
The discount applies to current pass prices. A group that forms after December 11 applies the ten percent to the price then in force.
Three Passes That Do Not Count Toward the Minimum
The Indie Pass, the Start-Up Pass and the Academic Pass each carry the same published line: the pass does not qualify for group pricing and does not count toward group purchase minimums. The group line names two pass types, the Festival and the Game Changer.
A team of ten therefore needs ten Festival or Game Changer registrations. A group of eight Festival passes with two Academic passes holds eight qualifying registrations and misses the ten-person threshold. An Indie or Start-Up application takes about three business days to review.
The Change Window and the Badge Rules
GDC publishes one deadline for changes. Registration, cancellation, substitution, upgrade and downgrade requests must be received on or before February 5, 2027.
A cancellation or a downgrade carries a $250 fee on a pass, and a $75 fee on a Festival Hall Only, Business Hall Only or 1-Day Career pass. Refunds are not available after that date for a downgrade or a cancellation, and not for a no-show. Passes cannot be transferred to GDC 2028.
The Room Side for a Team of Ten
GDC works with onPeak on discounted hotel rates near the Moscone Center. A party that needs 12 or more rooms requires a sub block agreement, arranged by email at GDC@onpeaksupport.com or by phone at (888) 998-2784. The FAQ says blocks will open for GDC 2027 soon. No nightly rate is published on the site.
Registration questions run through (415) 947-6926, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm PT, or GDCregistration@informa.com. International attendees request an official visa invitation letter after registering, using the exact name and passport number on the application.
bookMyTeam publishes its own figures for the city. The San Francisco directory page lists 562 hotels available and shows 24 per page. The platform quotes 15-40 percent below rack rates, 50-plus hotels per request, responses in 24 to 72 hours and no markup, with group rates at most hotels for 10 or more rooms per night and some discounting from five rooms depending on season and availability. An RFP submission is free.
Three Clocks for a Team of Ten
December 11 locks the Early Rate. February 5 closes the change window. March 1 opens five days at Moscone Center. Request the group form before the first date and put the room request in against the same headcount.
